By Winslow Durgin,Special to the Sun Journal

MINOT – A meeting to publicly review the first draft of Minot’s new comprehensive plan update drew about 40 residents to the Minot Consolidated School gymnasium last week.

“This is a 10-year outlook,” said Candace Benwitz, chairwoman of the Comprehensive Plan Committee. “We on the committee want to see if we are heading in the right direction, if this plan is acceptable to townspeople, before submitting it to the state.”

Once accepted, Benwitz pointed out, the plan and the future land-use map will be used to adjust the town’s land use ordinance, guiding the town’s growth for the next decade.

Two new features in the plan drew the most attention: Raising the residential density in rural areas from two acres per dwelling to five acres, and the expansion of village areas.

The village area proposal calls for not only expanding the West Minot village area, which already allows for relatively dense development, but to encourage similar development along Route 119 from Center Minot Hill Road south for about 2 miles.

“The purpose of the village area is to try to make Minot more than a bedroom community, make it so people traveling through will stop and do business,” Benwitz said.

John Gould suggested the committee consider a village area for the stretch of Center Minot Hill Road between Marston Hill and Jackson Hill roads.

Eda Tripp remarked that Minot is unlikely to ever see any large industrial or commercial development, and said, “There are only certain types of small businesses that you are going to get.”

Don Hemond noted that just because the town chooses to identify areas on a map for village-type commercial development, it in no way means it will actually happen.

Benwitz agreed, adding, “It all depends on demand. This just sets up the potential for business that might appeal to commuters.”

Noting that the section of Center Minot Hill Road under consideration possessed one of the finer views in town, Lisa Bonney said that preserving Minot’s rural character is also a worthwhile goal.

The recommendation to increase lot sizes in the rural zone from two acres to five acres, while presented as a way to preserve open space, might actually produce the opposite effect, according to George Buker, who argued in favor of retaining the two-acre lot size.

Benwitz noted that the plan allows for cluster development in rural areas. With cluster development, she pointed out, property owners are allowed to build houses in a concentrated area, with the bulk of the property maintained as permanent open space.

Commenting on efforts to reconcile conflicting goals in the overall development plans, Dick Clark said, “It’s all a balancing act, just a balancing act.”

The Comprehensive Plan Committee will consider the advice given during the course of the evening as it continues its work on the final plan. The public will be invited to another hearing this winter before it is finally acted upon.

The committee meets at 7 p.m. Sept. 8 in the town office.

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