As a kid, I hated hearing “it builds character!” It inevitably meant we’d embarked upon something unpleasant, likely prolonged, accompanied by expectations. Weeding, homework, vacuuming and dusting, and leveling an entire small hill in Grandpa’s backyard, with beach buckets, elicited the cheery phrase. But it worked. High expectations and learning how to use the tools to meet them builds character.

Building a town, we also need high expectations and the tools to build character. And make no mistake about it, our local towns are in the middle of a building spurt, with new subdivisions and individual house permits coming in at a noticeable clip.

Maine gives broad responsibility to towns to shape their character as they grow, through the state’s Growth Management Act. The Act responded to the rampant growth to the south of our state in the 1980’s, resulting in monotonous, identical strip malls, disconnected subdivisions, snarled traffic, and costly infrastructure. Maine’s leaders wisely realized that such growth would eventually arrive here, permanently shaping our state. On the cusp of strong growth again, the question remains: what kind of community character will we have when we grow up?

Maine assessed the costs of poorly planned growth in the 1990’s under then-Governor Angus King. Maine’s State Planning Office also measured public sentiments about growth. It turns out that open space and supporting traditional neighborhoods rather than sprawl is more cost-effective, environmentally sustainable, has higher resale value, and is what Maine people want. There is broad support to avoid becoming like “anywhere, USA” and maintaining Maine’s unique brand of landscape. It’s why so many of us cherish Maine.

Setting high expectations for new development is not anti-growth, any more than setting high expectations for children is anti-child. Absent such expectations, land developers will rightly do what is in their interest: maximize their return. But profit-based land development by itself won’t provide the community’s greater values. Maintaining and growing traditional neighborhoods with permanently protected farms and open spaces requires strong leadership and community engagement.

Managing growth is a tough issue to grapple with for public decision-makers. It’s controversial, as it seems to pit the short-term and vocal economic interests of developers against the long term but quiet interests of citizens and neighborhoods. But with strip malls and retail establishments increasingly abandoned, and property values in highly suburbanized areas declining even as property taxes rise to keep up with infrastructure maintenance, towns have a firm responsibility to take development and change as seriously as public education, fire protection, and road paving.

Why does residential development generally not help reduce property taxes? Car-dependent, spread out growth simply stops paying for itself by new property taxes after a certain “tipping point,” passing the costs onto other taxpayers in the community, and raising overall property taxes. Property taxes in built-out towns to the south of us are not lower. Growth within existing traditional neighborhoods, when consistent with supportive zoning, does not necessarily have this negative result.

Instead, existing in-town neighborhoods have specific concerns that inform responsive zoning limits developed over time. These standards apply when vacant lots or redevelopment of existing homes occurs. Protecting in town neighborhoods while responding to their specific experience is why, in Brunswick, our ordinance has slightly different standards for uses and setbacks, resulting in numerous districts.

For new subdivision-style development, Brunswick seeks to shape the character of our town, with initiatives such as the ground-breaking Rural Brunswick Smart Growth Ordinance and our 2008 Comprehensive Plan. To take our responsibility seriously to build the character of our community, and to protect natural resources for future generations, balancing growth with permanently protected acreage is not a luxury. It is an essential part of building an affordable, sustainable community.

The character of our communities is being shaped now. By development, by interpretations of our Comprehensive Plan, and by the proposed imminent overhaul of Brunswick’s Zoning Ordinance, which shifts and changes protections that many neighborhoods currently enjoy and expect.

If we learned anything in the past year, it should be that our system of government requires citizen attention, advocacy, and sometimes activism. Economic interests are always at the table, with paid staff to monitor and attend meetings and shape decisions. If you value the neighborhood in which you live, or the natural resources of our community, it’s time to pay attention to the seemingly obscure decisions about growth and development at hand. Review the tax maps for your area, and see who owns what and what the ordinance allows for development. Ask our town officials to explain whether changes to zoning are coming to your neighborhood in the Zoning Ordinance revisions.

We’re building character. What kind depends on citizen engagement.

Jackie Sartoris is a former Brunswick town councilor, and former senior planner for the former Maine State Planning Office