What is a Comprehensive Plan?

A comprehensive plan is a guiding document for a community’s land use, public policy, and investment. The plan takes a long-range view based on existing conditions and data analysis combined with public input about what you want to see for the future of your town.

Additionally, a Comprehensive Plan that is ruled consistent with Maine’s Growth Management Act makes municipalities eligible for certain State grants, and provides the legal foundation for zoning, impact fees, and other land use-related ordinances.

Why plan?

Freeport’s last comprehensive plan was completed in 2011. Things have changed a lot since then, so it’s time for an update.

The new plan will incorporate the latest data sources, the town’s planning work since 2011, and a community engagement process that seeks to hear from as many community members as possible - whether you’ve lived in Freeport all your life, you just moved here, or anything in between!

This plan will also build on the town’s Climate Action Plan, the Downtown Vision Plan, and Freeport’s other recent planning work.

Who is working on this project?

The Freeport Comprehensive Plan update is led by Freeport Planning Staff and the Freeport Planning Board.

The project is supported by a consultant team led by North Star Planning, with support from Levine Planning Strategies, FB Environmental, and Aceto Landscape Architecture.

Project Timeline

  • The consultant team, with input from town staff and the Planning Board, will collect and analyze a suite of data on Freeport’s history and current conditions in subjects including housing, population & demographics, economy, land use, and more.

  • Informed by the data, we’ll start to think about the community’s values and vision for Freeport’s future. The project team will connect with the community and key stakeholders through an online survey and a series of public events.

  • It’s time to turn the community’s vision into an actionable plan. We’ll develop a list of the most important goals, policies, and strategies that are directly based on the data and the community input, and grounded in realistic timelines.

  • At this stage, we put all the pieces together into a draft Comprehensive Plan that highlights community priorities, meets all the state requirements, and is easy-to-read and accessible. The draft plan will be reviewed by the Freeport community and the State of Maine before moving to adoption.