Category: Comprehensive Plan

Traffic Infrastructure Study Meeting

Learn about an important public meeting and plan to attend, if possible to be heard on this new initiative.

Monday evening the town office announced a Traffic Infrastructure Meeting to be held on Thursday, May 18 at 5:30PM in the library basement. This is your first and best opportunity to learn about and be heard on this critical next phase in the ‘development’ of Rockport Village. The text of the email announcement follows:

This email is to inform you of a public meeting regarding the Village Partnership Initiative Program that the Town has entered into with the Maine Department of Transportation. As a reminder, the Town was recently awarded this grant by the MDOT to explore creating a Business Enhancement and Traffic Plan which would improve our existing infrastructure in the Village and encourage multi- modal transportation approaches to achieve these improvements. One goal is to study how best to accommodate  pedestrian walkways, bicyclists and motorists throughout the entire village area, but especially giving consideration to the new bridge as it is designed. Others issues that will be considered include traffic calming techniques on roads leading into the village, parking, and a multimodal pathway from the Village to the schools.  This meeting will be the first public meeting to begin the engagement process with the community to capture as much information as possible. Through your participation, we are sure to encompass the entire picture for considerations of how the Town should handle this multi-modal approach.  

This meeting will take place at the Rockport Library, in the Lower level, starting at 5:30pm and will go until approximately 7:30pm. There will be a survey for this as well, which we will post on the Town Website.

If you have questions, feel free to reach out to the Planning and Development Office.

Orion Thomas, Planning & Development Director

Comprehensive Plan Input

The Comprehensive Plan is the foundation of Rockport town policy and ordinances. Now is your chance to participate in building that foundation. Seize the moment when the hotel mess is squarely upon us.

Now is your opportunity to influence the new Rockport Comprehensive Plan. It has been 17 years since the document was last refreshed, and the Comprehensive Plan Committee is seeking input from residents and property owners. This is the perfect opportunity to be heard, and we encourage you to engage in whatever way you feel most comfortable.

There is a public hearing on November 9 at 5:30PM in the Rockport Opera House. You can voice your opinion publicly. You can also participate in the online survey and “idea wall” at your convenience.

The Comprehensive Plan is how the Town of Rockport sets long term goals and the document is meant to influence both policy and ordinances. As we know well from the Rockport Harbor Hotel debacle, the best intentions are not always met. Despite architectural standards and scenic view provisions, for instance, the hotel still met with approval from the Planning Board and Code Enforcement Officer. Ideally, the ordinances will become more definitive and our enforcement processes tighter. Given the misses in this case, it seems likely that qualifications will become a key factor in filling these vital roles going forward.

Update on Appeal Status: We all drive by the ever larger 20 Central Street project often and wonder ‘what ever happened to the appeal?’ Since our last update Justice Mallonee has been hard at work reviewing the briefs from counsel and doing his own research on applicable law and precedent. In other words, we are still awaiting a ruling. We remain hopeful that the Justice will stand up for the Land Use Ordinance and the citizens’ petitions, and we will let you know as soon as we receive that ruling.