City staff to publish technical review for land development code update; public meetings set for Aug. 25–26

Planning staff told the Business & Economic Development Committee that consultants have completed a technical report on the city’s land development code and that the report will be posted to blueprintbangor.com starting tomorrow for public review.

Planning officer Manu Colette said the effort aims to align the land development code with the adopted comprehensive plan, reduce ambiguity for property owners and the planning board, and accelerate decision-making. "We really are, trying to move the project forward as quickly as we can," Colette said.

Staff outlined the next steps: a joint presentation to the committee and the planning board on Aug. 25 at a council workshop (5:15 p.m.), two public meetings on Aug. 26 (one lunchtime session at the new City Hall with a simultaneous Zoom option and an evening session at the Bangor Public Library), stakeholder outreach, drafting of a new land development code later this year, and multiple iterations with an expected target of a final code in late 2026. Colette noted the project is spread across two fiscal years.

Committee members asked whether the timing could put projects at risk if the code is not updated; Colette said planning board decisions already reference the recently approved comprehensive plan and that the rewrite’s timeline will take longer but should not, in itself, jeopardize current applications.

Planning staff committed to providing multiple ways for the public to submit feedback, posting recordings of public meetings, and sharing the report directly with council members and the planning board.