The South Portland City Council on Tuesday voted to adopt its comprehensive plan, with minor revisions. 

The document, which is the product of three years of committee meetings and feedback, will serve as a long-term plan for city policy and growth for the next 15 years. 

City staff will send the amended plan to the state for approval. 

Mayor Elyse Tipton and Councilor Rachael Coleman voted against adopting the comprehensive plan. 

During council discussion, Tipton said that she thought there was still work to be done on the plan, particularly in areas with high public interest. 

Some community members have been adamantly opposed to any residential development near Bug Light, citing environmental and traffic concerns. Sea level rise could inundate this area, which is near petroleum tanks, in the future. 

As a member of the comprehensive plan committee, Tipton said that some major decisions were made by narrow margins. 

“What we ended up with is a plan that represents a divided set of views,” she said. She recommended spending more time with the document. 

Coleman said she would like to see the land by Bug Light preserved. 

Barbara Dee, a South Portland resident, proposed converting 30 acres near Bug Light into a national monument or state park, preserving both the green space and the historical legacy of the area. More than 100 families in Cushing’s Point lost their homes to make way for the Liberty Shipyard there during World War II, which produced hundreds of ships for the war effort.

That plan isn’t currently feasible, according to Councilor Misha Pride. The city doesn’t own the land, nor does it have the money to purchase it. 

The councilors who voted in support of the plan said the document accomplished its goal: to provide guidance for future policy.

A comprehensive plan isn’t designed to get into the weeds of specific policies, said Councilor Carter Scott. That’s what implementation is for. 

West said the document reflects a wide range of community perspectives. The committee itself was made up of a cross section of the community, with some members more excited about development than others. 

“We did listen,” West said. “We revised and we reconsidered.”