RUMFORD – An effort to adopt a zoning ordinance and to place those regulations in a code with every other land use ordinance in town kicked off Tuesday night when the newly established Land Use Ordinance Committee held its first meeting.
“We want to plan the future growth of the town,” said member Andy Russell, public works director and code enforcement officer.
Town Manager Steve Eldridge, who is also leading a downtown revitalization effort, said he wants to make it easy for growth to happen, and to do that, potential developers need to know where they can build and what the rules and regulations are.
The goal is to get a zoning ordinance written in time for action at the annual town meeting in June 2006.
“Zoning provides restrictions but also protects resources. It gives a clear plan for how the town would grow,” he said, adding that any zoning ordinance adopted must be unique to Rumford.
“We must be careful not to restrict legal rights. We will fail to get it through town meeting if it is too restrictive,” he said.
To help in the effort, John Maloney, a planner with Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments, will assist the committee.
He helped the town write the Comprehensive Plan, which was adopted by residents in 1998.
The town already has ordinances covering shoreland zoning, the floodplain, site plan review, subdivisions, mobile home parks and wellhead protection.
A zoning ordinance would provide regulations for how land in specific districts of the town could be used, and a map showing where each property and zone is located.
As examples, Eldridge said the downtown area could limit lot sizes and encourage cluster development, or outlying areas near schools could be earmarked for residential growth.
“We want to try to prevent the sprawl like in Farmington,” he said.
As envisioned Tuesday night, a zoning ordinance would become a part of an overall land use code for the town.
The final proposed zoning ordinance would go before the public for an informational session, as well as to a public hearing, before town meeting acts on it.
That proposal must also be aligned with the Comprehensive Plan, said Maloney.
The newly formed committee was charged with reviewing the Comprehensive Plan, including a section on the town’s future use. If amendments to the Comprehensive Plan are needed, then action on those could also take place at the June town meeting.
The committee will next meet with Maloney at 6 p.m. Sept. 20.
Members of the newly formed committee are: Russell, Eldridge, Selectman Mark Belanger, Andover Road resident Burt DeFrees, American Legion Commander Joe Martineau, and East Andover Road resident Jon Starr.
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