On the Planning Front

Anne Krieg

Anne Krieg

By Anne Krieg, AICP

Bridgton Director of Planning, Economic & Community Development

Hello to all and best wishes! As I sit here thinking about the work over the last month and for next month, I realize I have not started my personal Christmas shopping — in usual planning style, I will blitz it out this weekend after I pick up my daughter from college and put the tree up, that is. Luckily, we play by the motto that Christmas starts on Christmas, not ends on it! I even order a family New Year’s card (usually the week of Christmas) and not a holiday one; so my advice is do what you have to in order to keep the stress factor low!

December has brought some big projects to fruition. The RFP (request for proposal) is out for the Memorial School. Please pass this information along (go to planning portion of the town’s website www.bridgtonmaine.org). I know I say this a lot, but I can’t tell you enough how important this project is to the core business district. Developing this site will assuredly serve as another anchor in the downtown and expand the business district, as well as draw further positive attention to Pondicherry Park.

We are signing a contract with the Portland multi-disciplinary firm of Milone & McBroom for the Depot Street streetscape design/engineering project. We will have a kickoff discussion in January so stay tuned and be part of the design of this street.

Did you go to the Festival of Lights? I was there with my family and we had great fun! I assembled staff and the Community Center folks to debrief this week and we came up with some ways to improve the event. If you have thoughts to share, please share them with me while it’s fresh in your mind. I have created a tickler file for next year so I don’t forget what we thought was a good idea.

I have been asked to speak at Senior College in February so I will give a lecture on the history and fields of planning and development. If you have always wondered what it is that we do and the profession, then sign up for this class!

The Community Development Block Grant applications are out. Are you in the downtown area and need to do some façade work or signage replacement? Are you part of a program or starting a program that serves persons of low to moderate income in Bridgton? Come see me or go to the website and download the application. I am having a workshop on this program for potential recipients on Tuesday, Jan. 7 at 4 p.m. at the municipal building.

The Comprehensive Plan Committee is finalizing the plan; they are now working on the land use plan. This is the most important part of the plan so stay tuned to hear when drafts are ready for public comments and forums to review the document. It is important residents read the documents to make sure we got it right.

Next month, I will be working on orientation with the Mount Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce, getting up to date on floodplain regulations, and finding out the latest trends from attending meetings of the Maine Real Estate and Development Association, the Economic Development Council of Maine and the Urban Land Institute in Boston.

It’s also budget time. I am working on possible TIF projects (tax increment financing district the town created in 2008), and the Winter Carnival is coming!

As always, please stop me, e-mail me, send me a tweet, LinkedIn with me, like me on Facebook and all the rest! Please accept my good wishes for a great New Year and thank you for all you do to make Bridgton a great place!