EASTPORT - AN ISLAND COMMUNITY LIVING, WORKING AND GROWING TOGETHER The 2018 Comprehensive Plan & Age Friendly Community Action Plan THE CITY OF EASTPORT MAINE 2018 Comprehensive Plan & Age Friendly Community Action Plan Prepared by the Joint Eastport Comprehensive Plan Update & Age Friendly Community Action Plan Committee: Ken Brown Stephen Collins Jack Reece Earl Small Jan Finley Chris Gardner Holly Gartmayer-DeYoung Anne Hopkins Meg McGarvey Persis Mooers Gilbert Murphy Jeanne Peacock Dean Pike Deb Shields Paul Theriault Mary Repole Caryn Vinson Damon Weston Consultant: Washington County Council of Governments When a man does not know what harbor he is making for, no wind is the right wind. …Seneca, first century Roman philosopher TABLE OF CONTENTS EASTPORT - MOOSE ISLAND ___________________________________________________________ 1 WHY THE NAME MOOSE ISLAND? _______________________________________________________________ 1 Local Abnaki Place Names (Passamaquoddy) _______________________________________________________ 1 A. VISION AND EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ________________________________________________ 2 Public Participation Summary ____________________________________________________________________ 2 City of Eastport Vision Statement _________________________________________________________________ 2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY _______________________________________________________________________ 2 B. SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES _________________________________________________ 15 COMMUNITY SUPPORT AND HEALTH SERVICES _____________________________________________________ 16 Local Health Services __________________________________________________________________________ 16 Regional Health Resources _____________________________________________________________________ 17 COMMUNITY INSTITUTIONS AND SOCIAL RESOURCES _________________________________________________ 18 Economic ___________________________________________________________________________________ 18 Arts & Cultural _______________________________________________________________________________ 19 Recreation and Health _________________________________________________________________________ 20 Community Support Services ____________________________________________________________________ 21 COMMUNITY INFORMATION AND NETWORKING ____________________________________________________ 22 RECREATION AND OUTDOOR SPACES ____________________________________________________________ 23 Local Recreational Facilities ____________________________________________________________________ 23 Public Access to the Water ______________________________________________________________________ 26 Trails – Bicycle and Pedestrian __________________________________________________________________ 26 Snowmobile & All Terrain Vehicles ______________________________________________________________ 26 Regional Recreation ___________________________________________________________________________ 27 HISTORICAL AND ARCHEOLOGICAL RESOURCES _____________________________________________________ 27 Native American Settlement and European Rule ____________________________________________________ 28 Early Industry ________________________________________________________________________________ 28 Settlement and Incorporation ___________________________________________________________________ 29 Historic Timeline _____________________________________________________________________________ 30 Prehistoric Archeological Sites __________________________________________________________________ 31 Historic Archeological Sites _____________________________________________________________________ 31 Historic Buildings ____________________________________________________________________________ 32 Cemeteries __________________________________________________________________________________ 36 Protection Measures ___________________________________________________________________________ 36 Threats to Existing Sites________________________________________________________________________ 37 SUMMARY ______________________________________________________________________________ 37 C. POPULATION ___________________________________________________________________ 38 POPULATION STATISTICS ____________________________________________________________________ 38 Population and Growth Rates ___________________________________________________________________ 38 Population Forecasts __________________________________________________________________________ 39 Seasonal Population ___________________________________________________________________________ 39 Age Distribution ______________________________________________________________________________ 39 School Enrollment ____________________________________________________________________________ 41 SUMMARY ______________________________________________________________________________ 43 D. NATURAL RESOURCES ___________________________________________________________ 44 ii Location and Topography ______________________________________________________________________ 44 Geology _____________________________________________________________________________________ 46 LAND SUITABILITY FOR DEVELOPMENT ___________________________________________________________ 46 Soils ________________________________________________________________________________________ 46 Highly Erodible Soils __________________________________________________________________________ 49 FARM AND FORESTLAND ____________________________________________________________________ 49 Prime farmland ______________________________________________________________________________ 49 Woodland Productivity _________________________________________________________________________ 50 WATER RESOURCES ________________________________________________________________________ 51 Watersheds __________________________________________________________________________________ 52 Shorelands and Floodplains ____________________________________________________________________ 52 Wetlands ____________________________________________________________________________________ 53 Groundwater - Sand and Gravel Aquifers __________________________________________________________ 55 MARINE WATERS AND RESOURCES _____________________________________________________________ 57 Marine Water Quality _________________________________________________________________________ 57 Shellfish Management _________________________________________________________________________ 58 Commercial Fishing ___________________________________________________________________________ 59 Aquaculture _________________________________________________________________________________ 60 Access to the Marine Resource __________________________________________________________________ 60 CRITICAL NATURAL RESOURCES________________________________________________________________ 61 Wildlife Habitats ______________________________________________________________________________ 62 STATE PARKS AND PUBLIC RESERVED LANDS _______________________________________________________ 65 NATURAL RESOURCE PROTECTION______________________________________________________________ 65 SCENIC RESOURCES ________________________________________________________________________ 66 Local and Regional Conservation and Protection Efforts _____________________________________________ 67 Land Use Options to Preserve Open Space _________________________________________________________ 68 SUMMARY ______________________________________________________________________________ 68 E. EMPLOYMENT AND ECONOMY ______________________________________________________ 69 EASTPORT BUSINESS AND EMPLOYMENT TODAY ____________________________________________________ 69 Local Employers ______________________________________________________________________________ 70 Aquaculture _________________________________________________________________________________ 75 Shipping ____________________________________________________________________________________ 75 Light Industry and Services Sector _______________________________________________________________ 76 Retail Trade _________________________________________________________________________________ 76 Downtown Revitalization _______________________________________________________________________ 79 Bootstrap Economics __________________________________________________________________________ 81 Property (Investor) Market and Attracting Telecommuters ____________________________________________ 82 Tourism _____________________________________________________________________________________ 83 REGIONAL ECONOMY ______________________________________________________________________ 84 Commuting to Work ___________________________________________________________________________ 85 LABOR FORCE AND EMPLOYMENT STATISTICS ______________________________________________________ 87 INCOME ________________________________________________________________________________ 89 SUMMARY ______________________________________________________________________________ 91 F. HOUSING ______________________________________________________________________ 93 HOUSING UNITS __________________________________________________________________________ 93 Number of Units ______________________________________________________________________________ 93 iii Structure Type _______________________________________________________________________________ 95 HOME OCCUPANCY ________________________________________________________________________