Planapalooza? What dictionary did that come from?

Those were the first words out of my mouth when I was told that a “planapalooza” would begin in Lewiston on June 20, 2013 — a community outreach effort that continued for five days.

I didn’t initially know what a planapalooza would entail, but I was pleasantly surprised. The focus was developing a new comprehensive plan for Lewiston — a vision for the next five to 10 years and beyond. Public input was vast, and creativity flowed.

To ensure a viable comprehensive plan, Lewiston’s planning staff and community members devoted a great deal of time interviewing consultants to assist us before making a selection. The firm that facilitated the community input and reviewed all that was shared — Town Planning and Urban Design Collaborative, LLC,  — consists of talented, young professionals.

It was during TPUDC’s initial presentation to the Lewiston City Council that I first heard the word “planapalooza.” Fast forward to August of 2014 and we now have a draft comprehensive plan titled “Legacy Lewiston.”

I’m a bit old-fashioned, some may say traditional. I expected that the long process of completing a new comprehensive plan to shepherd the city into the 21st century would result in the typical plan Maine communities are mandated to establish or update every 10 years.

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For the record, this state mandate is unfunded but is required if a community wants to legally impose a zoning ordinance, an impact fee ordinance, or a rate of growth or building cap ordinance.

Traditional comprehensive plans are heavily used by planning departments, but for the rest of us, these plans were placed on shelves to gather dust. Virtually no one, be they elected officials or residents, relished the thought of reading them because they were some of the driest reading known to mankind.

But this latest 230-page document made me want to read more. When I finished reading it, I was encouraged about the potential of what we can achieve in this community. I am really excited about this plan.

The city’s deputy director of code and planning, David Hediger, has reminded the City Council that we may not agree with every part of the document, but the totality of the finished product is the ultimate focus.

He was right. It is a positive road map for future development that can be adapted and adjusted when needed.

I am not trying to convince anyone of the merits of this plan, but I do encourage Lewiston residents and business owners to take the time to read what will hopefully be our new “Legacy FOR Lewiston.”

Mark Cayer of Lewiston is the president of the Lewiston City Council. He represents Ward 6.

Read the proposed plan at www.lewistonmaine.gov/comprehensiveplan or visit the Lewiston Public Library, 200 Lisbon St., or the third floor of Lewiston City Hall, 27 Pine St.


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