The meticulous review by Kingfield’s planning board on the proposed construction of a Poland Spring bottling plant exemplifies smart growth, which is what it should really mean to be from Maine.

From hours of painstaking review of the bottler’s 1,000-page application, to the intricate calculations on aquifer load and supply, to the days of public hearings, the Kingfield planning board’s approach to what represents a true windfall of a development is a model for other communities.

Poland Spring, as well, should be complimented for its patience in the review. “I’m not troubled by it,” Poland Spring spokesman Tom Brennan said recently, following another lengthy meeting. “It makes the process more detailed, but that’s a good thing, in the long run.” There’s nothing to disagree with there.

Smart growth is more than a buzzword for economic development policy wonks, community planners or anti-sprawl advocates. The phrase is a real guideline for towns to use when considering potential development, from the tiniest subdivision to the largest factory like Poland Spring.

Most of the time, smart growth is used to describe residential expansion. But its core principles for weighing potential developments – time, attention and resources – are equally applicable to the industrial development proposed for Kingfield.

And small communities, with volunteer planning boards and selectmen, can sometimes be overwhelmed when faced with a massive, complex project. Often, reviews become victims of their complexity, marred by poor procedure and overly narrow perspectives.

Kingfield’s planners have performed admirably to protect the public’s interest. They’ve asked for insurance for the present – through detailed analyses on the ability of Kingfield’s aquifer to handle Poland Springs’ load – and insurance for the future, by preparing for an eventual sale of the bottler.

There’s little more the board can do, and its decision is scheduled to come as early as this week. The bottling plant will be an economic boon for Kingfield and Franklin County as a whole, as any industrial development in Maine is a rare and welcome sight.

Kingfield’s planning board, however, doesn’t debate merits of a project, just its adherence to municipal codes and standards, and then makes the best decision for the community.

Given the thoroughness of its review, we’re positive the board will do just that.