Standish has released a draft of a new comprehensive plan, the first such plan for the town since 2006.

The plan was developed by the town’s Comprehensive Plan Committee in conjunction with North Star Planning, a New Gloucester-based urban planning group. Charles Tetelman, a senior planner at North Star, and Zach Mosher, Standish’s planning director, told Lakes Region Now that work on the comprehensive plan began in early 2024. The first meeting of the Comprehensive Plan Committee took place in April 2024. The town voted on establishing a new comprehensive plan in June 2023.

One of the most important issues addressed in the comprehensive plan revolved around bringing more business to Standish. According to Tetelman, North Star found out through public participation that a majority of Standish residents, 93%, commute to work outside of town. He said a lot of young people moved to Standish during the COVID-19 pandemic, noting the number of single-family homes being built in recent years and that they typically commute to towns such as Portland, Lewiston and Augusta.

Tetelman said if Standish wants more people working in town, it needs to attract more businesses, which could include independent coffee shops or local hubs for larger regional identities. He mentioned how people from more remote towns, such as Limington and Porter, drive through Standish to get to Portland or Westbrook. He cited goal No. 4 of the comprehensive plan, which focuses on growing a resilient local economy by promoting targeted investment in village and commercial areas, while also taking advantage of Standish’s existing natural and cultural assets to grow recreational tourism and small businesses.

Another part of the plan is reconciling Standish’s small-town charm and expansive rural character with the high demand for housing and economic development. Development will be directed toward two growth areas: Standish Corner, at the intersection of routes 25 and 35, and Sebago Lake Village, at the intersection of routes 114 and 35. Tetelman said these growth areas cover a wider area than the ones established in the 2006 plan, which also included the Standish Neck Area and Steep Falls. The latter area, Tetelman said, was unable to handle significant development, and the town would limit residential growth there.

Tetelman said goals No. 3 and No. 5, which prioritize building different types of affordable housing in growth areas and modernized and climate-resilient infrastructure, captured the essence of balancing the challenges of economic and population growth. He said that while Standish is experiencing population growth, it’s hard to do specific projections, with North Star giving multiple estimates for growth.

The current draft of the comprehensive plan forecasts a population growth of 4%, based on historical patterns, while the Maine State Economist predicts a growth of 5.8% between 2022 and 2027.

When asked about the next steps for the plan, which is still in draft form, Mosher and Tetelman said there will be a joint workshop of the Town Council and the Comprehensive Plan Committee on Tuesday, July 22. The public will be able to comment until mid-August.

The plan is currently being reviewed by multiple state agencies, including the Department of Economic and Community Development. The review process, Tetelman said, would take 60 to 90 days.