Technical Assistance and Land Use
Every member municipality has 16 hours of Technical Assistance available each year, funded by dues paid by them or on their behalf. Please reach out to discuss how we can assist with your planning, land use, and technical needs.
MCOG provides technical assistance, bridging the space between state regulations and municipal implementation, to ensure that communities understand all their options in implementing new laws, following best practices, and sharing information across municipalities and the region. MCOG will work with communities to develop comprehensive plans, downtown master plans, economic studies, and other technical information to inform decision-making and planning.
What this looks like:
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Help identifying and applying for funding opportunities
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Training for Planners, planning boards, and municipal officials to get new information
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Networking for Planners to share best practices
Trainings
MCOG regularly holds training on general land use, planning topics, and new, relevant state laws. You can view past trainings on our YouTube Channel here. You can see upcoming trainings on our event page here. If you have a specific training need, please contact Kate Tagai, ktagai@midcoastcog.com
Regional Planners Networking
Four times a year, MCOG hosts a networking event for municipal planning professionals. These meetings are a chance to hear from other Municipal and Regional Planners, share experiences, and understand evolving best practices. Attendance is by invitation only. If you would like to participate in these quarterly meetings, please contact Kate Tagai, ktagai@midcoastcog.com
Individual Assistance
Every member municipality receives 16 hours of technical assistance as part of its annual membership. We are happy to provide individual technical assistance, connect municipalities to others, and explore data needs. Reach out to Kate Tagai or Max Johnstone to get started.
Land Use
MCOG works with communities to ensure their land use ordinances and zoning support growth and the development of land in ways that advance a community's goals and values for their town.
What this looks like:
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Individual municipal support for ordinance updates
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Technical review of new ordinances
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Community Engagement and process support for planning
Growth Management Act
In Maine, land use planning is governed by the Growth Management Act (Title 30-A, Chapter 187: PLANNING AND LAND USE REGULATION ), adopted in 1988. The purpose of growth management is to provide a framework within the community that provides a vision for its future. That framework links land use planning policy (future land use and zoning ordinances) to community growth, operational expenditures, and infrastructure investment strategies (capital improvement plan).
MCOG assists member communities in the development and amendments of local growth management programs. Maine’s Growth Management Act is managed by the Maine Office of Community Affairs. If you are unsure if your community is consistent with the Growth Management Law, you can find out here on the Municipal Consistency Status Map (Municipal Comprehensive Plan Consistency Status)
Comprehensive Planning
MCOG supports a comprehensive planning process in various ways, depending on the community's needs. Comprehensive planning is a fee-for-service contract done on a case-by-case basis. The scope of work will be scaled to meet communities’ needs.
We can:
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Manage the entire process from community engagement to chapter writing
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Provide facilitation for community engagement
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Help source community-specific data
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Advise and participate in specific chapters
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Conduct a final review and edit
Why does my community need a Comprehensive Plan?
Comprehensive planning creates a unified vision for the community that can open doors to funding, zoning needs, and economic development. It creates an opportunity to plan for changes, protect critical natural resources, and address current challenges holistically, considering the community’s needs within the context of regional issues.
How long is a plan valid?
Once accepted by the State, Comprehensive Plans are valid for 12 years, but best practice is to update them every 10 years, as a thorough process takes 1-2 years to complete.
Legal Protection
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Your Comprehensive Plan establishes a legal basis for land use regulations. Without a Comprehensive Plan, your community has no legal authority to impose zoning, impact fees, or other land-use regulations.
Funding & Grant Opportunities
Over $80 million is awarded through state grant and loan programs that either require or incentivize applicants to have a current, state-approved, comprehensive plan. These include:
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Community Development Block Grants (CDBG)
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Land for Maine’s Future
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Land and Water Conservation Fund
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DEP 319(h) Non-Point Source Protection Grants, and
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DEP State Revolving Loan Fund
Good Community Planning Practice
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Captures and communicates the community's shared vision and priorities for the town
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Serves as a basis for sound decision-making in town management
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Encourages communities to prepare for the future by forward establishing thoughtful growth management strategies
What is required in a Comprehensive Plan?
You can find out more about Comprehensive Plans in Maine with examples and checklist requirements on the State's website here.
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Zoning & Ordinance Development
Establishing a Land Use Ordinance can help community Code Enforcement Officers and Planning Boards create a written procedure and outline development standards, ensuring the growth happening in the community is in keeping with community values. Having this document in place helps ensure protections for abutting property owners from potential developments and encourages projects to be located away from rural portions of the community.
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Shoreland Zoning is a statewide set of rules that are issued through the Maine Department of Environmental Protection to protect Maine’s waters and natural habitats from development. Shoreland Zoning was created as a result of Maine’s Mandatory Shoreland Zoning Act of 1971 and is applicable to identified water bodies and up to 250 feet of land from their normal high-water line. These standards are required to be adopted by all municipalities in the State of Maine. The most recent amendments went into effect as of January 21, 2015 and are known as “Chapter 1000”.
What MCOG can do:
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Help municipalities review and update specific ordinances
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Develop a Site Review, Land Use, and other ordinances
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Update zoning and understand how to apply state law
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Questions?
Give us a call or an email so we can discuss how we can provide these services.