Chebeague Island, Maine
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Photograph by Cathy MacNeill Town of Chebeague Island, Maine Comprehensive Plan Draft March 14, 2011 Volume I: Findings, Goals and Recommendations 1 Members of the Town of Chebeague Island Comprehensive Planning Committee 2008-2011 Sam Birkett Leila Bisharat Ernie Burgess Donna Damon Mabel Doughty Bob Earnest Jane Frizzell Beth Howe Peter Olney Also involved: Sam Ballard Erno Bonebakker Donna Colbeth David Hill Sheila Jordan Philip Jordan Andy LeMaistre Albert Traina Vail Traina Carol White The research on the condition of the Town’s roads was done by Mark Dyer, Beth Howe and Herb Maine. Consultants: Hugh Coxe, New England Planning Concepts Judy Colby-George, Spatial Alternatives Thea Youngs, Island Institute GIS Fellow Sue Burgess, Editor i Town of Chebeague Island Comprehensive Plan Table of Contents Volume I: Findings, Goals and Recommendations A Future Vision for Chebeague 2 Part I: Introduction and Summary 4 1. Introduction 5 2. Goals, Recommendations and Implementation: A Summary 16 Table 1: All Recommendations 18 Part II: Discussion of Issues and Recommendations 53 1. Clean Waters 54 a. Groundwater 57 b. Surface Water 60 c. The Waters of Casco Bay 60 2. Preserving Community 63 a. Present and Future Population 64 b. The Chebeague Economy 67 c. The Cost of Living: Housing, Energy and Transportation 90 d. Education 100 e. Community Services Provided by Island Organizations 105 3. Future Use of the Town’s Land and Waters 113 a. Future Land Use 115 b. Historic and Archaeological Resources 141 c. Wharves, Waterfront and the Outer Islands 147 d. Management of the Town’s Waters 160 4. Running the Town 174 a. Transportation to the Island: Ferries 175 b. Transportation on the Island: Roads 180 c. Public Facilities and Services 194 d. Fiscal Capacity and Capital Investment Planning 206 Capital Budget 211 Draft Capital Improvement and Maintenance Plan 212 Volume II: Inventories and Survey Report Part III: Inventories Introduction to the Plan Inventories and Vision 3 A Vision for Chebeague 6 Plan Inventories ii Introduction to Natural Resources 8 Water Resources 11 Marine Resources 23 Agriculture 41 Forestry 50 Critical Natural Areas 60 Introduction to Population 82 Population 83 Introduction to Land Use 94 Land Use 96 Open Space 124 Housing 140 Historic and Archaeological Resources 152 Introduction to the Economy and the Working Waterfront 162 The Economy 163 The Marine Economy 178 Introduction to Transportation 211 Roads 212 Transportation to the Mainland 230 Introduction to Community Services 250 Public Facilities and Services 252 Services Provided by Non-Profits 276 Recreation and Cultural Resources 284 Fiscal Capacity and Capital Improvements 288 Part IV: Survey Report 293 iii Volume I: Findings, Goals and Recommendations 1 A FUTURE VISION FOR CHEBEAGUE In the year 2020 the Town of Chebeague Island has clean waters and shorelands. The rural character of all the islands has been preserved by actively protecting wild areas from development. On occupied islands rural land uses, such as farming and forestry, are encouraged. The public has access to some of the Town’s uninhabited islands though some are particularly protected during nesting season so that they may remain the home of nesting seabirds. The Bay provides sustainable economic and recreational benefits to residents and others. Productive, unpolluted clam-flats also provide economic and recreational opportunities. Fishermen control the sale of, and can increase the value of, their products. Public access to the shore has been increased. Although it is geographically isolated from the mainland in a state with an aging population, Great Chebeague Island sustains a demographically diverse year-round community by providing a varied economic and social life on the island, with access to the advantages of the Portland metropolitan area. A reliable, affordable multi-modal transportation system provides access to jobs, health care, other services and entertainment on the mainland, without encouraging “too much” development on the island. Adequate parking for CTC is available on Chebeague. Up to date communication technology creates more flexible economic and educational opportunities, and binds the extended Chebeague community together. The island School provides individualized, quality education in multi-age, multi-grade classrooms. Enrollment fluctuates but stays within a range that allows for effective education. Education at the middle school and high school levels on the mainland provides the advantages of larger, more diverse schools. The community supports students who want to participate in extracurricular activities. Freedom of movement and enjoyment of Chebeague’s shores and open spaces, coupled with organized recreation and day care provide a safe and supportive environment for children. Taken together, these services and the “village” that provides them have made the island attractive to working families with children. Working, year-round residents include fishermen, local business owners, artists, crafts people, commuters to jobs on the mainland and telecommuters on Chebeague. The island provides economic opportunities for people of varying ages and socioeconomic backgrounds. Services from health care to recreation, and from car registration to issuing clam licenses are provided on the island. Housing that is affordable and designed to meet the needs of people of various ages is now available. The population of older residents is made up of retiring baby-boomers who have lived on the island for much of their lives or have been coming to the island as summer people. These residents have time, energy and skills to work with other residents on community projects. The island’s health care has kept pace with this growing group, as has the provision of home-care, assisted living and rescue services. Year round residents define the island’s basic values – valuing personal independence, combined with mutual support and cooperation. The island encourages multi-generational interaction. Day to day as well as social activities encourage exchange of ideas and mutual respect. Residents 2 volunteer with non-profits from the Commons to Chedemption, work on Town committees and celebrate together on the holidays that mark the passage of each year. The rich historical, archaeological and architectural resources of the island are preserved. The summer population is still largely made up of families with multi-generational connections to the island, who are also committed to helping Great Chebeague remain one of Maine’s last viable year-round island communities. Summer people as well as summer businesses providing lodging, meals and activities contribute substantially to the island economy and to its social institutions. The development that has occurred over the past ten years has been guided to be compatible with existing scale and styles of architecture. Islanders have built onto existing hamlets and have developed new neighborhoods. Renovation and conversions are sensitive to the integrity of the island’s vernacular architecture. Zoning is business friendly and supports economic development that is compatible with neighboring residential uses. Despite increased numbers of houses and businesses, residents have worked over the past ten years to improve the quality of the groundwater and the waters of Casco Bay. Residents work with the Town and island non-profits to enhance the island’s infrastructure such as roads, community buildings whether public or non-profit, the cemetery and marine infrastructure. The relationship between the Town and the non-profits in providing services has evolved to take advantage of administrative and operational efficiencies. Environmentally friendly transportation and energy sources are encouraged. Ordinances from parking to zoning are developed by island people and are enforced strictly and fairly. The Town of Chebeague Island became independent in 2007. We preserve our past and our small-town character as we continue to plan for the Town’s future. 3 PART I: INTRODUCTION AND SUMMARY 4 1. INTRODUCTION Living on an unconnected island is different from living on the mainland. The issue of sustainability is more immediate, both sustainability of the natural environment and the sustainability of the human community. This presents a challenge to islanders to commit to cooperating with each other to create a balance that can support the community, while preserving its environment. Great Chebeague Island is the largest island in Casco Bay, about 4 miles long and 1.4 miles wide at the widest points. The Town of Chebeague Island (Map 1) covers 12,701 square acres, 10,482 of which are water. It also includes 17 islands – Great Chebeague, Hope, Ministerial, Stave, Stockman, Bangs, Bates, Sand, Crow, West Brown Cow, Little Jewell, Goose Nest, Rogues, Broken Cove and Upper Green, and parts of Jewell and Little Chebeague. All of the islands are un-bridged. Great Chebeague is served by two ferries. Chebeague and Hope have year-round populations. Only Chebeague has town infrastructure and services. Bates, Ministerial and Stave are privately owned and are occupied only in the summer. The rest are owned by the State or by the Chebeague and Cumberland Land Trust. History Long before Europeans came to America, the islands of the Town were occupied by Native Americans who were their first summer residents. They depended on the extensive fish and shellfish resources of the islands, leaving large shell middens along the shore. Indeed more of these sites have been found on Great Chebeague than in any other place in Casco Bay. “European” settlers came to the islands in the late 1740s. Many came from North Yarmouth and had deep roots in Massachusetts. The new Maine Legislature allowed the Town of Cumberland on the mainland to secede from North Yarmouth in 1821 after the people of Chebeague voted to join Cumberland. From that time until 2007 all of the TOCI islands were part of the Town of Cumberland. The island residents farmed the land and earned livings on the sea as mariners and fishermen. In the 19th century Bangs, Bates, Ministerial, Stave, Jewell, Crow and Hope Islands supported year- round settlements in addition to Great and Little Chebeague.