POLAND – Barbara Strout is at it again.

She doesn’t speak loudly, and she doesn’t show emotion. Instead, Strout diligently and methodically puts information together and relies on the power of the democratic process.

The longtime Poland resident and citizen activist plans to forge ahead with a petition drive that would temporarily stop new housing development in town.

The town’s Planning Board will take up the issues of growth and a comprehensive plan review at its regular meeting Tuesday. The meeting begins at 7 p.m. and will be held at the Town Office.

Having spent several years as Planning Board secretary, Strout already knows her way around public documents and technically worded ordinances. She’s convinced that the town needs to update its Comprehensive Land Use Plan and to deal with continued housing growth.

“I’m not against growth at all,” said Strout. “But I’m concerned about where we’re going, and I don’t want growth to happen just willy-nilly. A plan gives the town an anchor, especially when a lot of people get involved in putting it together.”

Strout has spent hours poring over annual Town Reports in the Ricker Memorial Library. She makes frequent visits to the Town Office to search through parcel maps and building permit data.

Data from the town’s code enforcement office shows that Poland has gained 791 new homes since 1990. Since 2000, the average rate of new homes being built is about 65 a year.

Most of that growth has occurred in the two zones, the rural residential zone and the farm/forest zone. The original plan called for high-density growth in the village zone, general purpose zone, and shoreland zone, said Strout, who participated on the last comprehensive plan committee.

However, reality hasn’t followed the town’s plans. Now the Planning Board is looking at clusters of houses on large tracts instead of requiring 5- and 10-acre lots for each house.

“Growth is a monkey on your back,” said Strout. “You can’t give it away. When you’re elected to office, you have to be responsible for it.”

The town’s Board of Selectmen has voiced positions encouraging growth and protecting the rights of property owners. However, selectmen and Planning Board members have already begun looking at immediate steps to update the town’s comprehensive plan data. A full study and revision of the plan would take several thousands of dollars and voter approval for funding.

“I’ve been really surprised and pleased with the reaction,” said Strout. “At least people are thinking now and not just crabbing about things.”

In the meantime, Strout has proposed a moratorium on new houses until the planners update the comprehensive plan, put together in 1990. She is going ahead with collecting signatures to place the issue before voters at the next town meeting.

Planning Board Chair Carl Duchette said that updating the town’s comprehensive plan makes sense. However, planners will not spend any time discussing the building moratorium because of the selectmen’s strong opposition to it, said Duchette.

Strout has had success with petitions before, when a controversial site selection for the Poland Regional High School was all but a done deal. Strout showed up with more than 500 times the number of signatures needed to give voters a chance to decide between two sites.

The straw vote outcome forced the School Committee to change its vote. The high school now sits on the site chosen by the majority of people in Poland.