RUMFORD – A group charged with revising a proposal to plan ahead for economic growth by putting a zoning ordinance into place began a nearly yearlong task Tuesday night.

The nine-member Land Use Ordinance Committee, with the assistance of Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments planner John Maloney, hope to make revisions to a document turned down by the selectmen in April.

“We want something in place,” Town Manager Steve Eldridge said. “As growth and sprawl occur in other areas, it’s time Rumford looked at something before it gets here.”

Local businessman and committee member Lem Cissel suggested bringing in experts on various parts of the plan, such as architects, land-use professionals and engineers.

“Sometimes we learn more by other peoples’ mistakes,” he said.

Selectmen turned down the proposal 3-2 because some believed the ordinance was too restrictive.

Selectman Mark Belanger, who voted in April to put the proposal before the voters and who sat on the original land-use committee and sits on the new one, said he thought those who voted against it didn’t understand it.

The committee decided to begin reviewing the 17 new pages of the proposed land-use ordinance. Those include establishing districts dictating areas in town where industry, agriculture, residences, medical facilities, commercial businesses and other specific structures and uses would be allowed. These would have been established primarily where similar uses are now located.

Eldridge said the town’s current ordinances have been passed piecemeal. A land-use ordinance would bring all such ordinances together as well establish some new ones.

Most of the proposed ordinance was based on recommendations from the town’s 1998 adopted Comprehensive Plan.

The committee decided to review the comments made at the public hearings held prior to selectmen action and review the Comprehensive Plan at the next meeting, set for Sept. 5.

The committee will meet at 6 p.m. on the first Tuesday of each month at the Municipal Building conference room. Comment from the public is welcome.

Committee member Phil Blampied believes the town already has a sufficient number of ordinances and suggested that the town not ask residents to approve one large document, but instead act on modifications to existing ordinances over several years.

The committee also agreed to send the minutes of each meeting to the town’s Planning Board and Board of Appeals, and to have a liaison member from the Planning Board attend regular committee meetings.

Tentative plans call for having a draft document of a new land-use ordinance before selectmen by mid-April. Two public hearings would be held prior to the annual town meeting in June, at which time residents would take action on the proposal.