Agendas to the meetings are now available on the Community Calendar, see the notes () section for the meeting you are interested in.

Mission

The mission of the Belgrade Long Range Planning Committee is to solicit full public participation in gathering data and framing strategies to support an up-to-date Comprehensive Plan for the Town of Belgrade by Town Meeting 2010.

Members

MacGregor Stocco, Chairman
Cheryl Abbott
Norma Blazer
David Estey
Adelaide Lalime
Martha Spann

Current Work

The Long Range Planning Committee is working on updating the 1998 Belgrade Comprehensive Plan. A Comprehensive Plan is a set of goals and implementation strategies for achieving those goals. We review the town’s history, identify critical natural resources, investigate water quality, interview local business owners, assess road, fire department, emergency and other municipal services, and evaluate the town’s capability to provide for the environmental and economic welfare of its residents. We then recommend changes in municipal policy that we believe will provide the best future for residents.

200 years ago, the population of Belgrade was approximately 1,000 residents. It took until 1980, or 180 years, for the population to double to 2,000. That left lots of time for people (and the environment) to figure out what to do with the changes that come with a larger population. However, by the year 2000, our population increased to 3,000 residents – another 1,000 people in only 20 years. That is a lot of people, houses, roads, and pollution in a very short time period. So, even if we did not need to plan for change during the 19th and 20th centuries, it definitely makes sense to do so now.

Our committee is currently discussing resources in Belgrade. In resources, we consider things like our beautiful ponds, forests, natural habitat for deer and moose, historic properties, and farmland. We are assessing these resources, discussing how they overlap with each other (for example, a historic farm that is also a deer wintering habitat), considering which resources are more important than others, and basically determining the “Focus Areas” in Belgrade. These “Focus Areas” will be parts of town that we recommend preserving from future development, not just to maintain their natural characteristics, but also to assist in preserving the rural heritage and water quality we love. Please visit the Comprehensive Plan Update display during Town Meeting, where we will have some maps with potential “Focus Areas” for you to review.

The volunteer committee meets monthly, the third Thursday of the month at the Town Office at 7:00 p.m., and welcomes all members of the public. If you wish to learn more about the Comprehensive Plan update, or become a member of the committee, please contact:

MacGregor Stocco, Chair, Long Range Planning Committee
phone: 465-2806

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