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Planning director outlines trimmed growth area; council and planning board to hold local and state reviews
Summary
Planning Director Darla Brown presented a proposed smaller 'growth area' map and redline edits to the comprehensive plan driven by LD 1829; the planning board will hold a public meeting April 8 and the council will schedule local hearings before deciding when to send the amendment for state review.
Darla Brown, South Berwick’s director of planning and economic development, updated the council on a planning‑board recommendation to amend the town’s comprehensive plan to shrink the defined growth area consistent with LD 1829.
Brown displayed maps showing the current growth area (bright green) and a proposed smaller alternative (salmon). She said the planning board used criteria including on‑street parking potential, sidewalk availability or feasibility, proximity to parks and schools, and existing water and sewer access to identify parcels suited for higher density. The board has already voted on an outline of the proposed growth area and plans a community meeting on April 8 and a subsequent planning‑board public hearing.
Brown told councilors they have two procedural options for state review: send the complete amendment to the state for its public‑comment period before the town’s own public hearing, or complete the town’s local hearing process first and send the package afterward. The planning board is proceeding under a timeline that may be aided by recent state action that appears to allow an additional year to complete the work.
Councilors thanked the planning board for narrowing the growth area, asked for more time to review parcel‑level descriptions (some references use the phrasing "parcels abutting [street name]" which requires careful cross‑checks against zoning), and requested schedule details be posted to the town web page. Brown said the planning board will continue meeting weekly and that staff will provide exact schedule dates for the council.
Why it matters: Changes to a comprehensive plan and growth‑area boundaries influence where the town channels future housing and infrastructure investments and how the town uses LD 1829 density allowances. The public hearings scheduled by planning staff and the council are the next opportunities for residents to weigh in.
