Planning board told code rewrite is coming; members urge clearer organization and easier access to key tables

Planning staff told the City of Bangor Planning Board on July 1 that consultants will deliver a technical report with proposed changes to the Land Development Code, and outlined a schedule for review and public outreach. Board members said they welcome an overhaul but urged that the revised code be easier to navigate and that commonly used tables and definitions be more readily accessible.

Planning Officer Anya Collette said the timeline calls for an initial update to the Business and Economic Development committee next week, formal presentation to the planning board in August, a council workshop on Aug. 25 and two public meetings on Aug. 26 to solicit public feedback. “We will be putting it in their packet so you can see it, … and then we’ll be sending it to you officially via email, and then also putting it on the website,” Collette told the board.

Board members raised several recurring concerns they said the update should address: difficulty locating specific standards and tables such as impervious‑surface ratios; clearer differentiation between minor and major subdivisions; and tightening conditional‑use standards to reduce interpretive ambiguity. One member asked that the consultants review examples tied to the conditional‑use standards to reduce inconsistent outcomes. Several board members praised staff preparation and asked that the final draft include internal links or clearer cross‑referencing to speed review of packet materials.

The board’s comments will be forwarded to the consultant team and the Economic and Community Development Committee ahead of the August presentation, according to staff. No formal votes were taken on the code update at the July 1 meeting; staff said outreach materials and the technical report should be available publicly before the August meetings.