The updated Comprehensive Plan for Isle au Haut is nearing completion.
Updating the Comprehensive Plan has been a long process-nearly two years-and has
involved many public engagement sessions, late-night and evening committee
meetings, door-to-door outreach, and long phone calls with our partners at the Hancock
County Planning Commission. I want to extend a sincere thank-you to HCPC for their
professionalism and steady support throughout this process. This work would have
been much harder, and the final plan far less strong, without their guidance.
I would also like to thank the members of the Comprehensive Plan Committee for
volunteering their time, energy (including door-to-door outreach), and care to see this
work through. Finally-and most importantly-I want to thank the community of Isle au
Haut. Time and again, people showed up: attending meetings, completing surveys,
sending emails, sharing concerns and dreams, and, of course, bringing food to share.
One member of the HCPC team remarked that Isle au Haut shows up as a community
like no other she has worked with. We should all take pride in that.
The result of this collective effort is a thoughtful, 224-page plan that serves as a
framework for the future of Isle au Haut- where we have been, where we are now, and
where we hope to be in ten years.
The plan covers all aspects of our community, so a summary of key points that gives
justice to each chapter is not possible. Final edits were entered and a tenacious group
of volunteers from various members of the community read the entire document and
offered helpful edits in early February to ensure an accurate and complete document.
The plan is on its way to the State for review and recommendations. I would refer
curious community members to the town’s website to review this document or to the
hard copy available in the library. The executive summary on page 4 provides a helpful
overview, and readers can then explore the sections that are most relevant to them.
During the state review period, community members may also raise significant concerns
or request corrections if needed by sending comments to the reviewing agency.
When the State completes their review, the document will need to be voted on at a
special town meeting to formalize it. This will likely occur sometime this summer or late
fall. The document will then be available to the town, community organizations, and
State agencies to help guide planning, grant and loan opportunities, and project
priorities.
Respectfully Submitted,
David Wallstrom
Comprehensive Plan Review Committee Chair