AUGUSTA — The Land Use Planning Commission recently adopted zoning rules that provide opportunity for rural business to locate and grow in new areas of Aroostook County.
The rule changes establish a rural business development zone that can be used by businesses and property owners to accommodate business development in 30 towns, townships and plantations across Aroostook County that are part of the unorganized and deorganized areas of the state.
The changes are a product of the LUPC’s Community Guided Planning and Zoning (CGPZ) initiative, which joins with local partners to help regions identify their land use needs and plan for the region’s future.
“This is an example of how state government can assist local communities in strengthening rural economies by removing regulatory hurdles that impede economic development,” said Governor Paul R. LePage. “The LUPC’s work with local partners in Aroostook County demonstrates that a pro-job planning approach can be taken without adversely impacting Maine’s environment.”
“The governor has been very clear since day one that he wants to create more jobs and economic opportunities in rural Maine,” said Commissioner Walt Whitcomb. “I commend the hard work of our Aroostook County partners and the Land Use Planning Commission. Their work promotes a more user-friendly model for activities that impact unorganized and deorganized areas in Maine.”
In Aroostook County, the Northern Maine Development Commission in Caribou and a citizen steering committee worked with the LUPC to develop new zoning opportunities and improve the business climate in The County.
“We recognize that home-based and other rural businesses are an important part of the economy in Aroostook County,” said Nick Livesay, LUPC director. “The dedicated residents and other stakeholders who served on the steering committee, with support from NMDC and the commission, have developed regulatory changes that give new opportunity for business growth in rural northern Maine.”
The rule changes developed in Aroostook County are the first to come out of the CGPZ initiative and became effective May 9. Efforts to improve the effectiveness of land use planning and provide for economic development opportunities in the unorganized and deorganized areas of Maine have focused, in part, on the need for more locally guided and proactive planning for these areas. This is a result of 2012 legislation that called for more prospective zoning and emphasized the LUPC’s role in honoring the rights and participation of residents and property owners in the areas of the state that it serves.
The LUPC will continue to collaborate with partners in Aroostook County to plan for future land use needs, and is working with local and regional partners on similar projects in other counties.
For more information, visit www.maine.gov/dacf/lupc.
