Residents can speak at a hearing on a proposed update to the Comprehensive Plan.
TURNER – The public will have the opportunity to discuss the update to the Turner Comprehensive Plan at a public hearing at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 18, in the Town Office. This will be the final opportunity for residents to propose any changes to the plan before it comes before town meeting on April 3.
The Comprehensive Plan Committee will present the proposed major changes to the town’s 1991 plan. Over the past 12 years, Turner has been one of the fastest-growing communities in Androscoggin County. Since 2000, almost 300 new homes have been built in Turner. The new plan has estimated that over the next 10 years the town’s population will grow to more than 6,000 people. In the 2000 census, the town had 4,972 people, but it’s now well over 5,000, said Sandra Philipon, assistant to the town manager.
The committee, which began work to update the current plan three years ago, is recommending several major changes, said John Maloney of the Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments, who is working with the committee.
These include:
• Turner Center would be enlarged to allow for more business and residential development.
• A new commercial area would be located near Route 117 and Weston Road, which could be the location of a future business park.
• New residential areas would extend out from Turner Center and Turner Village.
• The proposed update calls for creation of a Density Transfer Program. That program would allow developers to build at greater densities if they purchased land in other areas of the town. That land then would be preserved as farmland, woodland or open space. There would be approximately 5,000 acres that could be preserved under the proposed program.
• In other parts of the updated plan, new sidewalks in Turner Center would be constructed, a new Nezinscot River access and park adjacent to the Town Office would be developed and an educational program developed to address the spread and effects of invasive plant species in the ponds.
The committee plans to take the public’s input at the hearing and make changes to the proposal. At the April 3 town meeting, voters will be asked to approve the plan. Copies of the draft plan are available at the Town Office.
Comments are no longer available on this story