Hancock County Planning Commission

THE HANCOCK COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION ADVOCATES FOR AND PROVIDES ASSISTANCE TO COUNTY AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS BY: - PROTECTING OUR HERITAGE AND RESOURCES,- PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE- PROMOTING A SOUND ECONOMY FOR THE PEOPLE OF HANCOCK COUNTY

COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING:DURING THE 2021-22 FISCAL YEAR HCPC ASSISTED THE FOLLOWING TOWNS WITH COMPREHENSIVE PLANS: - COMPLETED AND ADOPTED: BROOKSVILLE- APPROVED BY STATE, PREPARING FOR TOWN MEETING: ORLAND- MOST CHAPTERS COMPLETED: CASTINE, BROOKLIN- RECENTLY LAUNCHED: BLUE HILL, DEER ISLE, GOULDSBORO, PENOBSCOT, WALTHAM- PENDING LAUNCH: SURRY HCPC PROVIDES SKILLED PLANNERS TO PERFORM CONSULTING SERVICES TO WORK WITH MUNICIPAL LEADERS, STAFF AND RESIDENTS THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT AND/OR UPDATE OF COMPREHENSIVE PLAN (COMP PLAN). THE HCPC PLANNER FACILITATES COMMITTEE MEETINGS WITH MUNICIPALITY COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING COMMITTEE TO NAVIGATE THE INTRICATE PROCESS, ASSISTS IN DRAFTING CHAPTERS, CONDUCTS MUNICIPAL PUBLIC OPINION SURVEY, PREPARES GIS MAPS AND MORE.

OTHER PROGRAMS:HCPC CONTINUES TO WORK WITH MUNICIPALITIES AND THE COUNTY ON A WIDE RANGE OF LOCAL AND REGIONAL ISSUES. THE BLUE HILL PENINSULA ORGANIZED THE PENINISULA UTILITY FOR BROADBAND AND WORKED WITH CCI TO WIN A SUBSTANTIAL, MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR NTIA GRANT TO CONNECT FIBER TO THE PREMISE THROUGHOUT SEVEN TOWNS. WE CONSULTED WITH COUNTY GOVERNMENT ABOUT FUNDING OTHER BROADBAND INSTALLATIONS USING ARPA FUNDS.HCPC WORKED AS AN CONTRACTOR FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY AND DEVELOPMENT TO PROMOTE THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT (CDBG) PROGRAM. HCPC PROVIDED TOWNS WITH GRANT APPLICATION INFORMATION AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC DATA TO SUPPORT APPLICATIONS. OUR WEBSITE HAS QUICK LINKS TO THE AMERICAN COMMUNITY SURVEY DATA THAT IS REQUIRED FOR GRANT APPLICATIONS. HCPC PROVIDED A HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE COLLECTION IN 2021 IN ELLSWORTH FOR THE ENTIRE COUNTY. WE ARE NOT ABLE TO HOST ONE THIS AUTUMN BUT WILL BE BACK IN 2023.

TRANSPORTATION:HCPC SERVES AS THE REGIONAL LIAISON BETWEEN THE MAINE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION WITH HANCOCK COUNTY MUNICIPALITIES AND COUNTY GOVERNMENT. HCPC PRODUCED TRANSPORTATION DOCUMENTS FOR MUNICIPALITIES THROUGH THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN PROCESS WITH FINANCIAL SUPPORT FROM MAINEDOT. ADDITIONALLY, HCPC PRODUCED ESRI STORY MAPS FOR MULTIPLE MUNICIPALITIES INDICATING CLIMATE VULNERABILTITY OF TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE TO STORMS AND SEA-LEVEL RISE. EXAMPLES OF THIS WORK ARE SHARED ON OUR WEBSITEHCPC WORKS WITH THE MAINE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TO ASSIST TOWNS WITH TRANSPORTATION ASSESSMENT AND PLANNING. WE HAVE EXTENSIVE INFORMATION ON TRAFFIC AND ROAD CONDITIONS, AND THE POTENTIAL FOR ALTERNATIVE MODES SUCH AS BUSES, VANPOOLS, AND BICYCLES. WE HELP TOWNS PREPARE TRANSPORTATION PROPOSALS AND GRANT APPLICATIONS. WE ARE A REGIONAL SAFE ROUTES ORGANIZATION AND ASSIST IN THE PREPARATION OF BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN PLANS. WE PROMOTE AND SUPPORT SCENIC BYWAYS AND OTHER REGIONAL TOURISM INITIATIVES. OUR SUPPORT INCLUDES PLANNING, GRANT WRITING, ADMINISTRATION AND PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION. OUR PAST PROJECTS HAVE INCLUDED CREATING SCENIC TURNOUTS, INTERPRETIVE SIGNAGE, ACCESS TO OUTDOOR RECREATION, MARKETING MATERIALS, TOURISM WEBSITES, AND PUBLIC RELATIONS.IN FY 2021-22 HCPC PREPARED TRANSPORTATION CHAPTERS FOR THREE COMPREHENSIVE PLANS AND REVIEWED SEVERAL OTHERS. HCPC ASSTED THE TOWN OF TRENTON WITH A BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN SAFTEY PLANNING PROCESS. HCPC ASSISTED MAINEDOT WITH ASSESSMENT OF SAFETY ON ARTERIAL HIGHWAYS AND MAJOR COLLECTORS IN THE COUNTY AND DISSEMINATED INFORMATION TO TOWNS ABOUT THE MAINEDOT 2022-2023-2024 WORKPLAN. MAINEDOT APPRECIATED HCPC WORK PRODUCTS AND HIRED OUR DIRECTOR.