City Hall·Auburn City of Auburn, Maine, Comp Plan Committee Meeting
Auburn comp plan committee reviews draft plan section by section
The Auburn Comprehensive Plan Committee held a workshop on September 23, 2026, walking through the draft comprehensive plan section by section with planning staff. Members raised questions and suggested topics on land use, housing, transportation, and natural resources, and staff said they will compile the input into draft recommendations for a future vote. No formal votes were taken.
Key points
- Planning Director Carl Brown and Long Range Planner Lauren Cafe led the review, starting with the plan's introduction and vision and moving through future land use, community, housing, economy, transportation, natural environment, and parks sections.
- Chair Ed raised concerns about directing growth to high growth areas and disincentivizing growth in rural low growth areas, including reducing minimum lot sizes and road frontage there; staff said this would return as a topic for board discussion.
- Kathy Shaw of Valley View Farm commented in support of stronger language on farmland preservation and local food access, and later praised the natural environment section.
- Chelsea and other members asked for clearer language on digital equity and connectivity, e-bike and e-scooter policy, bike lanes, and sidewalk maintenance, especially in winter.
- Tim questioned how the plan's 1,300-unit housing goal by 2030 would affect schools, and staff said the plan includes regular reporting and check-ins to adjust as data comes in.
- Members also discussed limiting excess parking and impervious surfaces, and Tim asked that the plan's water access language be tightened because Taylor Pond is privately owned.
Next steps
- Staff will compile the board's topics and comments into draft recommendations for the board to discuss and vote on at a future meeting.
- Staff will look into several requests, including a definition of farming, city-owned woodlots, tax value impacts of the watershed protection district, and the Lewiston-Auburn water cost-sharing arrangement.
- Staff will report back on sidewalk vegetation rules and on whether the parking and traffic safety committee has language similar to the former complete streets committee.
- Staff will continue work on tax revenue and cost-of-services comparisons between housing types, requested by the chair.
Where this came from
City of Auburn / Great Falls TV (YouTube)
The summary and transcript were made by software from the public meeting video, with names checked against the official roster, then reviewed before publishing.
Watch the meeting ↗The summary and transcript were made by software from the public meeting video, with names checked against the official roster, then reviewed before publishing.