SCARBOROUGH — On June 30, the Scarborough Town Council unanimously voted to approve the new town comprehensive plan that was in development since 2017.

The newly adopted plan now addresses issues and challenges that have emerged since 2006, the last time the comprehensive plan was updated, said the plan’s background. The plan also includes a community vision with five statements regarding the Scarborough Marsh, future land use, ordinances, the town’s economy and transportation network.

According to the town’s website, most of the recent changes have been:

•  Addition of an implementation strategy,  descriptions of actions required, time frame and resources.
•  References to the Growth Management Ordinance and monitoring the pace and impact of growth.
•  Clarification of the relationship between the new plan and the 2006 plan
•  Update on the description of Villages
•  Update of Vision statements 1 & 4
•  Added COVID-19 Impacts & The Downs
•  Clarification of the Zoning and the Conservation & Growth Map
•  Reference to developing an Open Space Plan, and to the State’s “Maine Won’t Wait” climate action plan

The 2020 plan builds on the foundation of the 2006 plan, Town Planner Jay Chace said in a previous Town Council presentation.

“It is, overall, a visionary document that provides a blueprint for smart, sustainable evolution that reflects the priorities and values of Scarborough residents,” he said. “The plan seeks to safeguard the town’s history and sense of place by stimulating the conditions for short and long-term needs as identified through the planning process.”

Managing growth, was the primary purpose of the 2006 plan, according to the plan background in the May 26 draft. The 2021 plan addresses news issues that have arisen, such as coastal resiliency, housing choices and affordability, energy and new transportation options, according to the background. In addition, it stresses that decisions and policies in one arena affect other arenas and therefore they must be thought about together.

“In other words, comprehensive planning must anticipate how these areas (land use, housing, fiscal, transportation, and environmental goals) inter-relate and impact one another,” according to the plan background.

The plan is available for residents to read at scarboroughmaine.org/departments/planning-and-codes/planning/projects/comprehensive-plan. Over the month of June, councilors held public hearings and discussions on the plan, which has been in the works since 2017.

The council also approved amendments to the plan that fixed a few typos and spelling errors.