For much of the first half of 2018, the Presque Isle Planning Board will work with Code Enforcement Officer George Howe to propose, draft and implement changes to the city’s Land Use Code that would allow more potential lumber or woodworking-related businesses to establish themselves in areas usually set aside only for agricultural ventures.
After reviewing current city ordinances, which date back to the 1980s, Howe found that the guidelines in place for business owners who wish to establish themselves in the Agricultural and Farming Zone, the city’s largest zone, are too restrictive for businesses that do not fall in the agriculture or farming category. He said that in the past, those rules have discouraged many business owners from settling in the Presque Isle area.
“We’ve had multiple situations come up where people wanted to utilize the land, but we had to tell them ‘no,’” Howe said. “Almost a year ago there was a small cabinet-making business that we couldn’t commit to under the existing code, so they relocated to Caribou because they needed to be in a place that was less restrictive.”
Under the proposed ordinances, those areas of Presque Isle will still be committed to agriculture and farming, but Howe hopes that the updates will bring about more interest from lumber companies and similar businesses and promote economic growth for the region. He noted that when business owners feel more support from city officials, they are more likely to open their services to the community.
“I know one guy in town who is a mason and works with cement, but the current language of the ordinances doesn’t allow him to make figurines and sell them from his home,” Howe said. “We want to make these guidelines more user-friendly for everyone and I think the changes will reflect the growth of the city.”
The Planning Board also has proposed consolidating two of Presque Isle’s Urban Residential Zones into one zone. Currently both residential zones are considered separate even though the only difference is that one allows mobile homes while the other does not.
“It’s a minor change, but it makes more sense to combine those two zones because there’s not much difference between the two,” Ken Arndt, Presque Isle director of planning and development, said.
Arndt mentioned that the Planning Board will present a completed draft of all proposed changes to the Land Use Code during the panel’s next meeting on Thursday, Feb. 15 at Presque Isle City Hall. Once the board members have reviewed all proposals, they will schedule a public hearing for March so that area residents can share any comments they have. The board will then incorporate those suggestions into the final code, which will be presented to city councilors for their approval during the May 2 council meeting.
