Auburn planners question state population projections as consultants present comp‑plan inventory

Consultants for the Auburn Comprehensive Planning Committee presented the draft inventory and analysis for the city's comprehensive plan and committee members pressed for details about the data sources after state population projections changed abruptly.

Mary Dunn, the consultant who produced the draft inventory and analysis, told the committee that the document “is required by the state of Maine's Management Act” and is organized around the chapters the act outlines. Dunn said the draft relies on a mix of federal and state datasets, including the American Community Survey (the report uses the 2023 ACS five‑year estimates covering January 2019–December 2023), Longitudinal Employer‑Household Dynamics commuter data (most recent 2022), and demographic projections from the Maine State Economist.

The presentation summarized key findings: Auburn saw population growth from 2010 to 2020, recent increases in specific age cohorts (15–24 and 55–84), an older housing stock with many homes built before 1950, roughly 6,200 parcels located within 200 feet of water and sewer, about 18 active tax increment financing districts, and…