OAKLAND, ME – The Oakland Comprehensive Planning Committee (OCPC) will host its second public workshop on Monday, December 10th from 6:00 – 8:00pm at the Cascade Room in the Town of Oakland police station.
The workshop will educate attendees on OCPC’s progress toward drafting the most recent update to the Town of Oakland’s Comprehensive Plan since 1996. Yet, the primary focus of the workshop will include an update on the town’s comprehensive planning process, recent findings, and a planning exercise on Oakland’s downtown district. Attendees will be invited to illustrate how they interact with the downtown and to share their vision for Main Street.
“A municipality’s downtown is a hub of commerce and tourism, and it sets the tone for what life is like in the town. It is key for business and resident retention and attraction,” explains Gary Bowman, Town Manager of Oakland. “Oakland is home to wonderful amenities and recreational assets, and our downtown can better coordinate and communicate these opportunities. For example, the Flower Committee’s instrumental efforts in beautifying Main Street have given us a platform which we can leverage and improve upon.”
Input from residents, property owners, and business owners is welcome. The workshop is intended to be an interactive visioning exercise which will map the current flow of people in the downtown, including where people drive, stop, recreate, eat, and shop, and the future vision of Main Street, including new recreational and retail amenities.
OCPC’s community survey, which was completed on November 1st, has already received numerous suggestions for Oakland’s downtown district. The survey engaged over 360 residents, property owners, and business owners between July 28 and November 1.
While OCPC is tabulating final results, the two overwhelming themes are a love for Oakland’s friendly, small-town community and a desire for a more vibrant downtown, states Robert Nutting, chair of OCPC. “Hundreds of respondents have provided suggestions for additional recreational assets, retail businesses, and dining establishments within the downtown district, and we look forward to working with the community to realize our collective vision for a bustling downtown. We welcome anyone interested in the future of Oakland and Main Street to attend our upcoming public workshop.”
The workshop marks the OCPC’s seventy-five (75) percent completion of its two-year Comprehensive Planning process. A Comprehensive Plan is a broad, long-range plan intended to guide the growth and development of a community. At its core, a Comprehensive Plan reviews the history of the municipality, evaluates its current status, and outlines a vision for its future.
Public input is crucial to the accuracy and viability of a Comprehensive Plan; the OCPC welcomes public participation at its workshops and its monthly meetings. More information on the OCPC can be found online at https://www.centralmaine.org/oakland-comprehensive-plan/ or by calling the Central Maine Growth Council at (207) 680-7300.
Last modified: November 28, 2018
