Town of Bowdoinham

Key Issues

How do we maintain a balance between protecting our resources and quality of place and property owners' rights.

Recommendations

1. 
   Allow for smaller lot sizes, lot frontage and setbacks and for higher densities in the growth area to create conditions that allow the village to grow.
   
2. 
   Allow for smaller lot sizes, but limit the residential density in the Rural Area.
   
3. 
   Explore regulating driveway entrances instead of having a lot road frontage requirement.
   
4. 
   Allow cluster housing.
   
5. 
   Create a transfer of development rights program which would allow for greater development densities in the village.
   
6. 
   Continue to allow for mixed use development throughout Town with buffering to different uses.
   
7. 
   Minimize non-agricultural development on prime farmland soils.
   
8. 
   Protect active agricultural activities from new development by requiring buffers & setbacks.
   
9. 
   Encourage utilization and support the preservation of prime farmland.
   
10. 
    Minimize the impact of development in and around high valued areas, such as wetlands, waterbodies and wildlife.
    
11. 
    Continue to encourage the preservation of open space and the creation of greenspace.
    
12. 
    Continue to encourage the preservation of access to land and water resources.
    
13. 
    Continue to allow diverse housing types within the Towns ordinances including cluster and co-housing.
    
14. 
    Support efforts to develop affordable, seasonal and workforce housing.
    
15. 
    Support the development of housing opportunities for elderly and assisted living.
    
16. 
    Implement the Walkable Village Plan.
    
17. 
    Implement the Waterfront Plan.
    
18. 
    Continue to coordinate and partner with other municipalities, Friends of Merrymeeting Bay, and other organizations to protect natural resources.
    
19. 
    Maintain, enact or amend local ordinances as appropriate to:
    
    1. 
       Clearly define the desired scale, intensity, and location of future development.
       
    2. 
       Establish and maintain fair and efficient permitting procedures.
       
    3. 
       Explore streamlining permitting procedures in growth areas.
       
    4. 
       Clearly define protective measures for critical (and important) natural resources;
       
    5. 
       Clearly define protective measures for any proposed critical rural areas.
       
    6. 
       Ensure that the Town’s Land Use Ordinance is consistent with applicable State laws and rules regarding critical natural resources.
       
    7. 
       Review and update Shoreland Zoning rules.
       
20. 
    Assign responsibility for implementing the Future Land Use Plan to the appropriate committee(s), board(s) or municipal official(s).
    

A narrative description of each land use district including:

• 
  The district’s relationship to the community’s vision;
  
• 
  The district’s natural opportunities and/or constraints;
  
• 
  The types and intensity of proposed land uses, including residential density;
  
• 
  The compatibility or incompatibility of proposed uses to current uses, critical natural resources and important natural resources within and around the district along with any special development considerations (e.g. need for additional buffers, conservation subdivision provisions, architectural design standards, etc.); and
  
• 
  Any anticipated major municipal capital investments needed to support the proposed land uses.
  

Plan Implementation & Evaluation

1. 
   Their progress on their respective strategies.
   
2. 
   Barriers to accomplishing their respective strategies.
   
3. 
   Their proposed next steps for the next twelve months.
   
4. 
   Any proposed updates to Comprehensive Plan.
   

Inventory & Analysis

Note: Based upon 1990-2008 data.

Town Reports 2006-2010. Town figures are shown in the table for those years.

For Sagadahoc County, females comprised 51.6%, while males comprised 48.4%. Statewide, females comprised 51.1%, while males comprised 48.9%.

Note: Based upon 1990-2008 data.

Note: Annual Not Seasonally Adjusted Labor Force

Note: Annual Not Seasonally Adjusted Labor Force

Note: Annual Not Seasonally Adjusted Labor Force. The Brunswick LMA/Micropolitan Area includes Brunswick, Harpswell, Dresden, Westport, Wiscasset, Arrowsic, Bath, Bowdoin, Bowdoinham, Georgetown, Perkins UT, Phippsburg, Richmond, Topsham, West Bath, and Woolwich.

Note: Annual Not Seasonally Adjusted Labor Force

Research and Information

and Information

Notes: To use these figures, multiply by $1,000. For confidentiality, categories

Notes: To use these figures, multiply by $1,000.

• 
  Total Retail Sales: Includes Consumer Retail Sales plus special types of sales and rentals to businesses where the tax is paid directly by the buyer (such as commercial or industrial oil purchase).
  
• 
  Business Operating: Purchases for which businesses pay Use Tax, i.e., for items that are used by the business in its operation (like shelving and machinery) and not re-sold to consumers.
  
• 
  Building Supply: Durable equipment sales, contractors' sales, hardware stores and lumberyards.
  
• 
  Food Stores: All food stores from large supermarkets to small corner food stores. The values here are snacks and non-food items only, since most food intended for home consumption is not taxed.
  
• 
  General Merchandise: In this sales group are stores carrying lines generally carried in large department stores. These include clothing, furniture, shoes, radio-TV, household durable goods, home furnishing, etc.
  
• 
  Other Retail: This group includes a wide selection of taxable sales not covered elsewhere. Examples are dry good stores, drug stores, jewelry stores, sporting good stores, antique dealers, morticians, bookstores, photo supply stores, gift shops, etc.
  
• 
  Auto Transportation: This sales group includes all transportation related retail outlets. Included are auto dealers, auto parts, aircraft dealers, motorboat dealers, automobile rental, etc.
  
• 
  Restaurant/Lodging: All stores selling prepared food for immediate consumption. The Lodging group includes only rental tax.
  

Notes: The percent figures are rounded,