By Suzanne Hodgson
Staff Writer

The public will have their first say in potential changes to Kennebunk’s Comprehensive Plan recommended by the Kennebunk Economic Development Plan known as the Crane Report.
On Monday night planning board members along with members of the Economic Development Committee agreed a public hearing will be held on Feb. 8 for citizens of Kennebunk to get their first chance to question the report’s findings.
Committee Chairman Bob Georgitis said the committee did not have a chance to review changes to the report since first presenting their findings on Section 3 of the Crane Report to the planning board on Dec. 8.
Since that time, Kennebunk Town Planner Judy Bernstein made changes to the language of the report so it would fit in more cohesively with the Comprehensive Plan.
Bernstein also expanded on some of the report’s findings to include all three villages in Kennebunk including the downtown area, West Kennebunk and Lower Village.
Because the development committee did not have time to review the new document, not many changes were made during the meeting, except to clear up confusing language. Georgitis said the committee does not foresee any substantial changes to be made in the section to be presented during the public hearing.
The report lays out goals, policies and strategies for the local economy focusing mostly on diversifying the local economy by making mixed use buildings-commercial and residential, while maintaining the town’s historic features.
The section also focuses mainly on investigating possible zoning changes, such as the mixed use residential and commercial zones, a higher density for the town’s growth areas and “form-based zoning.”
Form based zoning, as described by Bernstein, is the zoning of individual buildings or small areas. She explained it by looking back before the town mandated zoning, where businesses and residencies would pop up throughout the town. Form zoning aims to foster the historical feel  while continuing to manage growth.
Georgitis recommended the planning board and Economic Development Committee form subcommittees to review sections of the Crane Report so both committees can have a full understanding of the zone uses and municipal operations that form the foundation of the report.
The report was initiated three years ago when the town’s economic development committee wanted to explore development possibilities within the town. The committee allocated funds for a Vermont consulting specialist, Michael Crane, to study economic issues facing the town.
Crane interviewed business owners and community leaders, conducted an analysis of commercial and industrial land uses and data in housing, demographics and local economy, according to the report. It contains 26 recommendations for economic improvements to the town.
The Economic Development Committee will be at the Jan. 11 Planning Board meeting again, along with the West Kennebunk Committee to discuss development in that specific community and the possibility of an expanding sewer line in the area.
    
    Staff Writer Suzanne Hodgson can be reached at 282-4337, ext. 233.