YARMOUTH — The Town Council on Dec. 16 approved a new Comprehensive Plan that replaces the plan adopted in 1993.

Changes include the potential for new zoning practices.

The Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee worked on the document for nearly five years. Co-chairwoman Esther Pappas said she was pleased with the results and was thankful for the help of Town Planner Vanessa Farr and Town Manager Nat Tupper.

The plan centers on five areas that are important to the town and ultimately interconnected – the village area, diversity of population and housing, historic character, Route 1, and rural character and open space. It also allows for the implementation of form-based code and a historic building inventory.

The plan will be sent to the state for certification.

The council will also establish and appoint members to a Comprehensive Plan Implementation Committee to help amend, supplement and update the document as often as needed.

The proposed committee will work with other town committees and will be the liaison between the council and the community.

Yarmouth Education Foundation

The council also donated $3,000 to form the Yarmouth Education Foundation, which will help raise funds for innovative education practices.

Town Finance Director Dawn Madden said the money to help start the foundation came from the Louisa York Trust, which is dedicated to supporting, maintaining and employing children without limitation. She said Yarmouth acknowledged receipt and started the fund in 1972.

Superintendent Judy Paolucci said YEF was started by a group of parents who wanted to help generate funds to benefit teachers, students and school programming: Rhonda Senger, Jeanne Rapone, Kristina Keaney, Bill Hagedorn, Lynne Gawtry, Gary Bergeron and School Committee member Art Bell.

The group is working on a website, a mission statement and a governance structure. The money from the trust will be used to pay for a nonprofit application and marketing materials.

“This is an extremely motivated and hard-working group of parents,” Paolucci said. “They are dedicated and very capable.”

In other business, the council approved changes to the special parking regulation section of the Traffic Ordinance. They include parking restrictions on Center Street, Cousins Street, East Elm Street, Mill Street, Madeline Point Road, Patty Lane and Main Street.

Further changes will be made after a parking study of Main Street is completed. To view changes and the schedule of fines associated with the parking restrictions, visit the town’s website.

Amy Anderson can be reached a 781-3661 ext. 110 or aanderson@theforecaster.net

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