BATH

While he didn’t always plan to go into municipal planning, Bath Director of Planning and Development Ben Averill said he’s always been driven to find a way he can improve the world.

In college, he majored in international development.

“I had gone into that original degree program because I wanted to do something good. I wanted to try to make the world a better place,” said Averill.

But while the drive to “do good” was there, he never quite found his place in the international scene.

“I was unsure of what I was doing as a 20-something year old and found myself applying to grad school,” said Averill.

Averill enrolled at the Muskie School of Public Service at the University of Southern Maine, where instead of continuing on his international tract he decided to focus on where he felt he could do good locally and graduated with a degree in community planning.

After graduating, Averill was quickly hired by the town of Wiscasset as town planner, but had to leave when the funding for that post was eliminated after two years. Averill then went to work for Auburn in economic development for a brief stint.

In 2017, Bath reconfigured its planning office, with City Planner Andrew Deci promoted to director of Planning and Development to reflect his increased role in economic development after the departure of economic development Director Scott LaFlamme. The city hired Averill to serve as city planner, where he focused more on the day-to-day operations of the planning department. Averill worked closely with the planning board and helped shepherd the way for the new high school being built at Wing Farm.

“It’s been only great,” Averill said of his experience. “It’s been nothing but pros.”

Deci left his position in early August. Earlier this month, the town tapped Averill to replace him. In that position, Averill will be in charge of planning, overseeing short-term projects and working with the planning board as well as creating long-term goals, such as the update of the city’s comprehensive plan.

In some ways, the planning department will revert back to the way it was pre- 2017. The city has eliminated the city planner position. Economic development will be primarily handled by the city manager’s office, although Averill will share in some of those duties.

Big issues ahead

Averill will have his hands full with a number of big issues coming to the forefront in Bath. This fall, the city will have to begin developing regulations for the state’s fledgling recreational marijuana industry. At the same time, the city is conducting a major study of traffic in the south end of the city in collaboration with the Maine Department of Transportation and Bath Iron Works. Also on the horizon is an update to the city’s comprehensive plan, as well as any issues that may arise from the building of the new Morse High School.

In addition, Averill will continue to oversee day-today operations, from working with new businesses developing properties in Bath to ongoing issues like traffic calming on Richardson Street and Western Avenue.

Despite the steep workload, Averill says he has placed a lot of confidence in fellow city employees as well as the numerous boards he works with.

“All of the volunteer boards that I work with, whether it’s the planning board or the bike path committee and the city council as well, everybody understands why they’re there, which is to make this community better than it already is,” said Averill. “Everybody’s working toward that same goal.”

nstrout@timesrecord.com