By Briana Bizier
What do you want your town to look like in five years, or 10 years, or even 20
years? Right now, Raymond residents have a rare chance to answer that very
question as the town looks for volunteers to help write a new Comprehensive
Plan.
The town’s previous Comprehensive Plan was written in 2004. That document,
which is available on the Town of Raymond’s website, was truly comprehensive;
it covers topics ranging from descriptions of Raymond’s historical properties
and archaeological sites to designating growth areas for new developments and
protecting Raymond’s many beautiful lakes and ponds.
“It’s a pretty encompassing document,” said Rolf Olsen, a current member of
Raymond’s Select Board. “It touches on a lot of different areas. Essentially,
it looks at demographics, land use, future planning, and future needs.”
Raymond is actively seeking volunteers to
help the town develop a new Comprehensive
Plan for addressing future growth and
development and protecting the town's
natural resources. PHOTO BY ED PIERCE
While the proposed future Comprehensive Plan won’t change any current zoning
regulations in Raymond, it will serve as a guide for the town’s future
development. The new Comprehensive Plan, as Olsen explained, will serve as a
backbone for new ordinances and development.
One set of decisions that has been guided by the current Comprehensive Plan are
Raymond’s zoning regulations. “The last Comprehensive Plan really helped
establish the two- and five-acre minimum lot sizes,” Olsen said. “There’s three
zones in town. Rural and rural residential have different lot sizes. And then
there was the village residential, where we didn’t have to define lot size
because it was all full anyway.”
The 2004 Comprehensive Plan’s influence can also be seen all summer long in
Raymond’s pristine lakes. Many lakes and ponds in Maine struggle with algae
blooms that can make their waters green, turning away swimmers and tourists
alike. The 2004 Comprehensive Plan suggested several measures to help prevent
algae bloom, like regular septic tank inspections as well as the preservation
of any wetlands over two acres in size.
Septic tank inspections and zoning decisions might sound like theoretical
discussions with little real-world impact, but recommendations like this help
to guide new construction and protect current resources. Ultimately, these
decisions shape the future of the town.
For Olsen, the future of Raymond is best placed in the hands of today’s Raymond
residents.
“We’re looking for a real cross-section of the
population to serve on this committee,” Olsen said. “We don’t want to exclude
people from any group - you’ve got the senior population, you’ve got the
younger population, you’ve got people on the waterfront, you’ve got people not
on the waterfront, people with kids in school - really, there’s no bad person
for the committee. The driving thing is people who want to see Raymond survive
and go forward in a positive manner.”
The people who do sign up for this committee should be prepared to be part of
an extensive process. “There’ll be a lot of work to get done,” Olsen said.
“It’s not one of those that will be just one or two meetings.”
When the last Comprehensive Plan was developed in 2004, Olsen said, the final
135-page document was the result of a lengthy process to envision Raymond’s
future.
“When it was written back then, it took over a
year to get it done," Olsen said. The process of approving the next
Comprehensive Plan will likely involve many meetings as well as public
hearings. “This plan helps guide a lot of decisions. That’s why it takes a lot
of input back and forth.”
However, this is also a chance to make a lasting mark on the Town of Raymond.
“From my standpoint, it’s a chance to look at the
old plan, to see what’s valid and what’s not valid, and to help set a course
for the next x number of years,” Olsen said. “The people who want to see the
town move forward in a positive manner - those are the people you want on
there. They’re going to look at all the different things and see how we keep
the character and move ahead without shutting anyone out.”
Despite the magnitude of the task, Olsen believes Raymond residents are up for
the task of reimagining their town’s future.
“There’s not a lack of talent in this town,” Olsen
said. “Although sometimes it’s a matter of getting them to come out.”
If you are interested in service on Raymond’s Comprehensive Plan, please fill
out a volunteer application on the town website: https://www.raymondmaine.org/ <
