PARIS — The Land Management Ordinance is finally heading to voters this November after several hearings and a compromise on a different document that first had to be approved before the public could weigh in on the ordinance.

At their Monday, Sept. 28 meeting, Paris selectmen unanimously voted to move the ordinance to the Nov. 3 ballot.

“It’s been a long time coming. I am excited and happy to be able to bring this to the voters. … We have been discussing this for years. I believe we have a document people are willing to vote on at this point,” Selectmen Chair Robert Wessels said, after the vote. “There’s been a lot of compromise and the last public meetings have not been contentious.”

Town Manager Amy Bernard explained before the Land Management Ordinance could be brought to the voters, the town’s Comprehensive Plan first had to be amended since both documents had conflicting residential rural lot sizes. 

Previously there had been issues between residents who championed keeping the town’s rural nature and larger rural lot sizes and those who were afraid such requirements would stifle growth in Paris.

“Everyone remembers we had some conflict with the Comprehensive Plan that said rural lot sizes had to be two acres and couldn’t be anything less than that,” she said. “We had to change that first so we could change the Land [Management] Ordinance.”

The plan was amended and passed at town meeting in June to make residential rural lot sizes a minimum of one acre with 150 feet of roadside frontage. The Land Use Committee met on Sept. 10 and made the same change to the ordinance, Bernard said. 

The draft ordinance’s purpose is “to implement the provisions of the town’s Comprehensive Plan; to conserve the natural resources; to provide orderly growth and appropriate land uses and to promote the health, safety and welfare of the community.”

It would also divide the town into five land use districts, including the General Growth District, South Paris Main Street District, Rural District, Paris Hill Historic District and Route 26 Corridor District.

Additional goals for the districts will “provide for development and redevelopment in locations where suitable and public infrastructure is available,” and “to provide for separation of land uses that might otherwise be incompatible.”

At their meeting last week, selectmen set two public hearings for the Land Management Ordinance. They will precede the two upcoming selectmen’s meetings scheduled for 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 13, and Monday, Oct. 26.

To review the entire ordinance, visit www.parismaine.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Land-Management-Ordinance.pdf.

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