Draft: January 2018 Section 1 City of Saco Comprehensive Plan Update 2018 Image Source: VisitMaine.com 1 2018 Comprehensive Plan Update Draft: January 2018 Section 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction to the 2018 Comprehensive Plan Update……………………………………………3 Section 1A: Population and Demographics Goals and Policies…………………………………..4 Section 1B: Population and Demographics………………………………………………………....6 Section 2A: Local Economy Goals, Policies, and Strategies………………………………..37 Section 2B: The Local Economy……………………………………………………………………..43 Section 3A: Transportation Goals and Policies……………………………………………………71 Section 3B: Transportation…………………………………………………………………………..83 Section 4A: Housing Goals, Policies and Strategies……………………………………………...143 Section 4B: Housing.………………………………………………………………………………..147 Section 5A: Arts and Culture Goals and Policies.………………………………………………..165 Section 5B: Arts and Culture.………………………………………………………………………170 Section 6A: Land Use Goals, Policies and Strategies.……………………………………………177 Section 6B: Land Use………………………………………………………………………………..181 Section 7A: Sea Level Rise Goals and Policies…………………………………………………….203 Section 7B: Sea Level Rise…………………………………………………………………………..206 Addendum A: Measuring Sea Level.……………………..……………………………………….225 Addendum B: Other Sea Level Rise Adaptation Efforts in Maine.…………………………….227 Addendum C: Road Infrastructure Assessment for the City of Saco.………………………...228 2 2018 Comprehensive Plan Update Draft: January 2018 Section 1 Introduction to the 2018 Comprehensive Plan Update In 1989, the State of Maine instituted the Growth Management Program (GMP) legislation requiring towns and cities to adopt a local growth management program, including a comprehensive plan and an implementation program. The goal of the GMP is for communities to develop a “blueprint” for managing growth and change – which amounts to a master plan for how and where development should happen. Specifically, the comprehensive plan of that blueprint must include an inventory and analysis section, and include economic and demographic data, and information on land use, transportation, housing and more. Further, the plan must identify growth areas and provide for development standards, permitting procedures, and ensure that public services are available. The plan must also identify rural areas and adopt policies and ordinances that discourage incompatible development. Following similar updates to the Comprehensive Plan in 1999 and 2011, the City initiated an update of the 2011 Comprehensive Plan in November 2016 with an emphasis on the downtown and surrounding neighborhoods. An eleven-member Comprehensive Plan Committee (CPC) was appointed by the City Council. The City Planner, Economic Development Director, and the Southern Maine Planning and Development Commission (SMPDC) facilitated the meetings, performed data gathering, and drafted the updated Comprehensive Plan sections. The CPC has thoroughly reviewed each of the topics related to the downtown – Population and Demographics, Local Economy, Transportation, Housing, Arts and Culture, and Land Use – as well as a new section to the Plan, Sea Level Rise. Meetings included other town staff, community leaders, organizations and various stakeholders from the development community, Dyer Library, City of Portland staff, Heart of Biddeford and Saco Main Street, the Maine Geologic Survey and more. The information gathered and recommendations found in the 2018 Comprehensive Plan Update will provide the basis for guiding and managing Saco’s growth over the next 10 to 15 years. The objective: improving Saco in a thoughtful and measured way that recognizes the many changes impacting the way we live, work and play, and that benefits residents, businesses, and visitors. 3 2018 Comprehensive Plan Update Draft: January 2018 Section 1 DRAFT Section 1A: Population and Demographics Goals and Policies Population and Demographics Goals and Policies State Goal: To encourage orderly growth and development in appropriate areas of each community, while protecting the State’s rural character, making efficient use of public services and preventing development sprawl. (Growth Management Act, 1988) Local Goals: To accommodate and encourage growth in a manner that maintains the character and respects the cultural attributes of the City of Saco while recognizing the need to evolve and provide state of the art amenities for both residential and business citizens of the City. To ensure that Saco remains a welcoming community for all individuals regardless of background or socioeconomic status. Pursuant to these goals, the City’s policies with respect to population and demographics are: 1. The City should assure that residential growth is accommodated in appropriate locations that are properly zoned and able to be provided with public services. 2. The City should continue to provide for the construction of a wide range of housing at a variety of densities and types to assure that a diversity of people can continue to live in and be attracted to living in Saco. The City should influence development to include the facilities, support services and amenities that appeal to diverse age groups, and attract and maintain residents of all ages. (Moved to Sec. 4.A) 3. In accordance to the goals set forth by Mayor Lovell in early 2018, the City should seek to grow its population to 25,000 residents by 2025. 4. Recognizing the demographic reality of Maine’s aging population and retiring workforce, the City should recognize the value of and make efforts to attract new residents of all ages and backgrounds to Saco to ensure that the City can meet its workforce needs for years to come. 4 2018 Comprehensive Plan Update Draft: January 2018 Section 1 POPULATION AND DEMOGRAPHICS – IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES Policy Activity Primary Reference Responsibility 1 The City will work to update its zoning to ensure that Council, adequate areas are provided for residential growth in areas Planning Board, with access to public services as well as areas outside the Planner, and urban core, where larger lots with private utilities are Development appropriately located. Director 2, 3 Survey existing residents of Saco to determine specific wants Council, and needs in the areas of housing, support services, Planning Board, entertainment, etc., with a view toward determining what Planner, and amenities attract people to the City, but more specifically with Development a view toward what the City is lacking and should strive to Director develop. 2, 3 Perform a study of other communities similar in size, Council, population and character to determine if and how other Planning Board, cities are either more or less successful in providing the Planner, and housing, amenities, etc., that attract and maintain a diverse Development population. Director 2, 3 Develop a City “report card” that periodically tracks progress Council, in specific measurable attributes that attract and maintain a Planning Board, diverse population. Planner, and Development Director 5 2018 Comprehensive Plan Update Draft: January 2018 Section 1 SECTION 1B: POPULATION AND DEMOGRAPHICS Population changes play a significant role in a community’s development. Over the last three decades, while most Maine cities were losing population, Saco’s population has grown steadily. At the same time, the City’s demographics have changed. This section looks at how Saco’s population has grown over the past century, and how it is likely to change in the coming decade. A. YEAR‐ROUND POPULATION Saco lies along the southern Maine coast in one of the fastest growing and most economically robust regions in the state. Saco and its sister city Biddeford have historically served and continue to act as the economic and population center of this part of York County. This role was based largely on the mills located in the two communities. Biddeford and Saco have been and remain to be the employment center of York County and are surrounded by more rural and seasonal resort communities. Saco and the larger region have changed over the past several decades as manufacturing has migrated to other areas of the United States or offshore. Rural and seasonal towns have become suburban bedroom communities for Saco, Biddeford, and Greater Portland. From an economic standpoint, Saco has become more closely aligned with Greater Portland. This has reduced the City’s role as an independent economic center, and as a result, in 2000 Saco, Biddeford and several surrounding towns were added to the Portland metropolitan area by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget. 6 2018 Comprehensive Plan Update Draft: January 2018 Section 1 Map 1: Downtown Focus Area The Downtown Focus Area extends from I-95 to the north, along Cumberland Avenue, Wood Avenue, along the railroad tracks down to Wakefield Avenue, then along the Saco River’s shoreline, including Saco Island. From Saco Island, it continues along the shore, then up along Market Street to Lincoln Street, along Skyline Drive, Applewood Drive and Hubbard Street, then along Bradley Street to the Eastern Trail and back up to I-95. 7 2018 Comprehensive Plan Update Draft: January 2018 Section 1 1. Long-Term Population Change 1900-2014 Figure A.1: POPULATION 1900-2014 20,000 18,757 16,822 15,000 12,921 10,515 10,000 8,631 6,817 6,122 5,000 0 1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000 2014 Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2014 1900-2000 Saco’s population has grown steadily since the 1930s (see Figure A.1). Between 1930 and 1950, it increased by 20% each decade, from 7,233 in 1930 to 10,324 in 1950. Growth slowed in the 1950ʹs,