SEARSPORT — The 175th annual town meeting for the Town of Searsport being held this weekend will be highlighted by a comprehensive plan and four proposed ordinances. 

The town meeting will be held Saturday, March 7 at 9 a.m. with proposed items including a comprehensive plan, a land use ordinance, a solar energy system ordinance, a mobile home park ordinance and a marijuana ordinance. 

To view the documents in full, click here to access and download the PDF from the town’s website. 

Comprehensive Plan

Purpose
The Purpose of the Comprehensive Plan for the Town of Searsport remains the same. This plan and its supporting documents will provide the framework and support for future planning, community and economic development.

The Mission of the Comprehensive Plan Committee is to review, periodically revise and recommend any other appropriate changes to the Comprehensive Plan that represent the collective thinking, vision and insight of the community for its future growth and anticipated needs. In addition, the committee is charged with, at least annually, reviewing and recommending any appropriate changes to the Land Use Ordinance to Board of Selectmen.

The result will be the continuing progress toward keeping and enhancing Searsport as a place where people want to live; a place where business large and small can prosper in an environmentally pleasing community. 

Vision Statement
Searsport will be a friendly cooperative town that provides economic opportunities balanced with safety and quality of life. We will build on our seafaring heritage to grow a central intermodal port supporting central and northern Maine. We will provide educational opportunities to support these industries. We will provide public and/or attract private support services for the convenience of our citizens and industries.

Public Participation Summary
The Searsport Comprehensive Plan update was performed by relying on input from residents through a series of public outreach activities to assure that the vision and future planning were shaped by a broad cross-section of Searsport’s population.

Leading the public participation effort was an eight member Comprehensive Planning Committee. The committee met regularly to update the Comprehensive Plan; the process included an aggressive approach for engaging residents in the public participation activities to have their voices heard.

A community-wide survey was developed with the assistance of Eastern Maine Development Corporation to ask a series of questions to determine:

• Satisfaction with the quality of life/living in Searsport 

• Benefits of living in Searsport (i.e., cost of living, caring community, access to medical and social services, education, etc.)

• Disadvantages for living in Searsport (i.e., property taxes, lack of housing, low population growth, quality of streets and roads, etc.)

• Assessment of the quality of life (better, same, worse)

• Satisfaction with economic growth

• Identification of preferences for economic development and community improvements

• Ranking (satisfied or dissatisfied) of services and community characteristics

• Preferences for communications regarding community meetings or news 

In addition to these questions, the survey encouraged participants to share additional comments.

The survey was mailed to approximately 800 individual households with prepaid posted return envelopes, and an electronic version was also posted on the Searsport town web site. In all, 200 responded which represents 25% of the total households.

Land Use Ordinance

The purposes of this ordinance are: 

1. Comprehensive plan implementation: To implement the policies and recommendations of the Searsport Comprehensive Plan

2. Protection of the general welfare: To assure the comfort, convenience, safety, health and welfare of the present and future inhabitants of the Town of Searsport

3. Preservation of the town character: To preserve and protect the character of Searsport by dividing the Town into districts according to the use of land and buildings and the intensity of such uses

4. Protection of the environment: To protect and enhance the natural, cultural, and historic resources of the Town from unacceptable adverse impacts and to integrate new development harmoniously into the Town's natural environment

5. Promotion of community development: To promote the development of an economically sound and stable community

6. Reduction of traffic congestion: To lessen the danger and congestion of traffic on roads and highways, limit excessive numbers of intersections, driveways, and other friction points, minimize hazards, and ensure the continued usefulness of all elements of the existing transportation systems for their planned function

7. Balancing of property rights: To protect property rights and values by balancing the rights of landowners to use their land with the corresponding rights of abutting and neighboring landowners to enjoy their property without undue disturbance from abutting or neighboring uses

8. Reduction of fiscal impact: To provide a means of evaluating development proposals to determine their fiscal impacts on the municipality's ability to provide and improve necessary public facilities and services

9. Establishment of procedures/standards: To establish procedures whereby the Town Officials may review the developments regulated by this Ordinance by providing fair and reasonable standards for evaluating such developments; to provide a public hearing process through which interested persons may raise questions and receive answers regarding how such developments may affect them; and to provide procedures whereby aggrieved parties may appeal decisions made under this Ordinance.

Solar Energy System Ordinance

The purpose of this proposed ordinance is “to facilitate the effective and efficient use of Solar Energy Systems while protecting the public health, safety and welfare of Searsport citizens.” 

“The Town of Searsport finds that it is in the public interest to encourage the development and use of Solar
Energy Systems as a clean, renewable energy source and to help promote sustainable initiatives in town,” the ordinance states. 

Mobile Home Park Ordinance 

The purposes of the mobile home park ordinance are: 

1. To promote the public health, safety, and welfare of the citizens Town

2. To protect the natural environment from unacceptable adverse impacts

3. To integrate new development harmoniously into the Town’s physical environment

4. To promote the development of an economically sound, diverse and stable Community

5. To establish standards for mobile home park construction and maintenance

6. To establish procedures whereby Town officials may review mobile home park proposals by providing fair and reasonable standards for their evaluations and to provide a public hearing process through which Town residents may raise questions and receive answers regarding such proposals.

Marijuana Establishment Ordinance

The proposed marijuana ordinance limits all adult use and medical marijuana establishments to the zoning rules and regulations contained within the ordinance and to the specified districts.

The purpose of the ordinance is to implement “a system for the regulation of Establishments for the cultivation, and testing for both Adult Use and Medical Marijuana, is a complex function with significant administrative demands on the Town of Searsport” and “to ensure that possession and use of Adult Use and Medical Marijuana is limited to persons who are 21 years of age or older, except in the case of minors in possession of a Medical Marijuana Patient Card. 

Furthermore, the ordinance states the Town “believes that any production, or testing, of Adult Use and Medical Marijuana should be conducted in a safe and fair manner for the health, safety, and welfare of the community, which includes complying with provisions of all applicable laws and ordinances relating to Adult Use and Medical Marijuana throughout the Town of Searsport.” 

The ordinance notes marijuana cultivation facilities and marijuana testing facilities “shall be allowed in the Town of Searsport subject to the zoning and licensing requirements set forth in this Ordinance and all other approval requirements set forth in the Town of Searsport Land Use Ordinance.” 

Meanwhile, caregiver retail stores may operate in Searsport if it already is lawfully existing as of the date of the ordinance enactment, but no new caregiver retail stores are to be permitted. 

Applicability

A. No person may establish, operate or maintain a Marijuana Establishment without first obtaining a license from the Town’s Board of Selectmen.

B. Limitations on License Issuance 

a. One (1) - Marijuana Testing Facility may be licensed for location in the General Industrial (I) zoning district.

b. One (1) - Marijuana Cultivation Facility may be licensed for location in the Rural Agricultural Residential (RAR) zoning district.

c. One (1) Marijuana Testing Facility and One (1) Marijuana Cultivation Facility may be licensed for location in the Mixed Residential (MR) zoning district.

i. Five hundred (500) feet of the property line of a public or preexisting private school (K-12) per 28-A M.R.S. §402.2.A and 20A M.R.S. § 1; or

ii. Five hundred (500) feet of the property line of a property used primarily for any of the following:

a. Religious worship and related religious activities; ii. A daycare licensed under 10-148 CMR c. 32;

b. Recreational areas designated for use by children up to eighteen (18) years in age; or

c. Areas designated as a municipal "safe zones" pursuant to 30-A M.R.S.A. § 3253.

The ordinance also lays out application procedures and standards for permits and licenses, the latter of which includes regulations security measures, ventilation and required notices. 

Marijuana establishments will not permitted within 500 feet of the property line of a K-12 school, religious worship, daycare or youth recreational facilities.