Planning Board for Town of Bowerbank in Maine

About the Planning Board

The Planning Board meets the Third Thursday of the month at 6:30 pm in the Fire Station. The Board conducts regularly scheduled meetings from April to October. All meetings are noticed at the Town Hall Annex and on this website.

Meetings may be cancelled if there is no business brought before the Planning Board.

Planning Board Decision Process

The Board currently consists of six members. Each member has one vote. The Code Enforcement Officer sits on the board but in an advisory capacity. A majority vote is required to finalize a decision. With six members, a minium of four votes are required for approval.

Planning Board Responsibilities

Conditional Use Permits
Shoreland Overlay Zone for Nonconforming Buildings
Building Permits
Subdivision Permits Review and Recommendations
Amendments to the Bowerbank Land Use Ordinance

Planning Board Governing Documents

Bowerbank has several "Land Use Ordinances" that establish the requirements and decision-making process of the Planning Board. These documents have been previously approved by Bowerbank town residents and are compliant with state law. The Town of Bowerbank Land Use Ordinances can be accessed and downloaded below.

Land Use Ordinances

All Town of Bowerbank Land Use Ordinances are available for download.

Comprehensive Plan

This Comprehensive Plan examines local, as well as regional issues that concern or affect the Town of Bowerbank. This plan will guide the town over the next ten years, and provide a reasonable approach to land use regulation in preparing the town for future development while retaining, or even enhancing the local quality of life.

Bowerbank Comprehensive Plan (PDF)

Land Use Ordinances

The purposes of the Ordinance are as follows:

COMPREHENSIVE PLAN IMPLEMENTATION: To implement the policies and recommendations of the Bowerbank Comprehensive Plan.
PROTECTION OF THE GENERAL WELFARE: To assure the comfort, convenience, safety, health and welfare of the present and future inhabitants of the Town of Bowerbank.
PRESERVATION OF THE TOWN CHARACTER: To preserve and protect the character of Bowerbank by dividing the Town into districts according to the use of land and buildings and the intensity of such uses.
PROTECTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT: To protect and enhance the natural, cultural, and historic resources of the Town from unacceptable adverse impacts and to integrate new development harmoniously into the Town's natural environment.
PROMOTION OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT: To promote the development of an economically sound and stable community.
REDUCTION OF TRAFFIC CRASHES: To lessen the danger of traffic on roads and highways, limit excessive numbers of intersections, driveways, and other friction points, minimize hazards, and insure the continued usefulness of all elements of the existing transportation systems for their planned function.
BALANCING OF PROPERTY RIGHTS: To protect property rights and values by balancing the rights of landowners to use their land with the corresponding rights of abutting and neighboring landowners to enjoy their property without undue disturbance from abutting or neighboring uses.
REDUCTION OF FISCAL IMPACT: To provide a means of evaluating development proposals to determine their fiscal impacts on the municipality's ability to provide and improve necessary public facilities and services.
ESTABLISHMENT OF PROCEDURES/STANDARDS: To establish procedures whereby the Town Officials may review the developments regulated by this Ordinance by providing fair and reasonable standards for evaluating such developments; to provide a public hearing process through which interested persons may raise questions and receive answers regarding how such developments may affect them; and to provide procedures whereby aggrieved parties may appeal decisions made under this Ordinance.

Bowerbank Land-Use Ordinance (PDF)

Shoreline Ordinances

The purposes of this Ordinance are to further the maintenance of safe and healthful conditions; to prevent and control water pollution; to protect fish spawning grounds, aquatic life, bird and other wildlife habitat; to protect buildings and lands from flooding and accelerated erosion; to protect archaeological and historic resources; to protect freshwater wetlands; to control building sites, placement of structures and land uses; to conserve shore cover, and visual as well as actual points of access to inland waters; to conserve natural beauty and open space; and to anticipate and respond to the impacts of development in shoreland areas.

Bowerbank Shoreline Ordinance (PDF)

Subdivision Ordinances

The purposes of this ordinance are:

To provide for an expeditious and efficient process for the review of proposed subdivisions.
To assure new development in the Town of Bowerbank meets the goals and conforms to the policies of the Bowerbank Comprehensive Plan.
To assure the convenience, safety, health and welfare of the people of the Town of Bowerbank.
To protect the environment and conserve the natural and cultural resources identified in the Bowerbank Comprehensive Plan as important to the community.
To assure that a minimal level of services and facilities are available to the residents of new subdivisions and that lots in said subdivisions are capable of supporting the proposed uses and structures.
To minimize the potential impacts from new subdivisions on neighboring properties and on the municipality.
To promote the development of an economically sound and stable community.

Bowerbank Subdivision Ordinance (PDF)