Work to update South Portland’s comprehensive plan update is ramping up, and the Planning Division is hosting 10 events to get the community’s input over the next month.

The city’s comprehensive plan guides its policy-making for growth and development. The current plan was adopted in 2012 and the update will be in effect through 2040. Zoning, planning and growth management are state-mandated aspects of the comprehensive plan that unlock opportunities for grants and allow more self-regulation, Planning Director Milan Nevajda told the Sentry. South Portland uses the update as an opportunity to explore other topics and issues as well.

“It’s the community’s opportunity, every 12 to 15 years, to really discuss what it wants to become and how it wants to get there,” Nevajda said. “It is sort of a building block of how we will guide South Portland for the next decade.”

The events this month focus on a variety of concepts like transportation, waterfront development, public services, open spaces and infrastructure.

There will be an event held in each of the city’s five districts along with other community-wide sessions.

“We’re planning to guide community members through different topics, potential pathways to address those topics and issues over the next 15 years,” said Community Planner Laura Berry. “Then, help them choose their preferred policy pathways or alternatives.”

Another key aspect of the plan revolves around climate and waterfront resilience. The city adopted its One Climate Future plan in 2020, which Sustainability Director Julie Rosenbach described as “a comprehensive plan for climate change.”

“The Sustainability Department and Planning Department are working together to make sure that our climate goals are woven into the comprehensive plan,” Rosenbach said. “Particularly, after the storms in January, we’ve done a great deal of work to look at what the vulnerabilities around our coastline are. What are our key assets? How are they at risk under different scenarios?”

A Climate Resilience Community Workshop on June 20 will focus on much of that.

The variety of topics covered in the plan is what makes it so important, Nevajda said.

“This is a plan for building community and not just simply getting some zoning in place,” Nevajda said. “There are the social well-being and diversity and equity pieces that are woven into this plan, justice pieces that are woven into this plan that people are asking us for.”

An all-encompassing plan for the community requires plenty of public input, and there are plenty of ways to do so beyond the upcoming events.

“We’re trying pretty hard to give as many pathways for people to share their thoughts as possible, whether it’s in-person events or sending comments to a Comprehensive Plan Committee meeting or comments online on our website,” Berry said.

“I feel like every single person should give their input on this,” Rosenbach said. “This is how the city is looking to develop over the next 10 to 15 years and we’re interested in having everybody’s voice heard in this.”