Envisioning Villages in Waterboro, Maine

South

The residents of Waterboro, Maine, hope to

love about the place they live while also inviting growth and development to their town. They are considering ways to promote village centers in the

East

preserve the small town feel and ruralness they

This document focuses on the ability of four areas (North Waterboro, Waterboro Center, East Waterboro, and South Waterboro) to evolve over time into strong village centers where Waterboro residents can live, shop, and walk about — village centers that provide residents with a strong sense of place.

North Center

town as one step towards accomplishing this goal.

Envisioning Villages The Conway School is the only institution of its kind in North America. Its focus is sustainable landscape planning and design. Each year, through its accredited, ten-month graduate program just eighteen to nineteen students from diverse backgrounds are immersed in a range of applied landscape studies, ranging in scale from residences to regions. Graduates go on to play significant professional roles in various aspects of landscape planning and design.

IN WATERBORO, MAINE THE CONWAY SCHOOL • APRIL 2012 JEANETTE O’CONNOR & CARLOS WRIGHT

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PROJECT NAME SECTION TITLE PROJECT NAME SECTION TITLE

Envisioning Villages IN WATERBORO

THE CONWAY SCHOOL • APRIL 2012 JEANETTE O’CONNOR & CARLOS WRIGHT

We would like to thank all the members of Waterboro’s 20/20 Master Planning Committee, Waterboro’s Town Planner Tom Ursia, and all of the community members who spent time talking with us. We appreciate the knowledge you shared with us, the feedback you offered on our work, and your endless enthusiasm for this project.

We would also like to thank our professors for their expertise and seemingly endless patience as they guided us through this project.

And last but never least, we would like to thank our families for their constant support and love.

© 2012 The Conway School, 332 South Deerfield Road, Conway, Massachusetts, 01341, www.csld.edu, 413-369-4044

CONTENTS 1. Preserving a “Small Town Feeling”.................................................................1 2. Planning for the Future......................................................................................2 3. Changes in the Landscape...............................................................................3 4. Creating a Village Feel........................................................................................8 5. Strengthening Waterboro’s Village Centers............................................ 15 6. Waterboro’s Ecologically Important Landscapes ................................. 18 7. The Four Potential Village Centers.............................................................. 26

North Waterboro....................................................................................... 26 Waterboro Center..................................................................................... 30 East Waterboro........................................................................................... 35 South Waterboro....................................................................................... 39

8. Action Plan.......................................................................................................... 43 9. References........................................................................................................... 49

1. Preserving a “Small Town Feeling” Residents of Waterboro, Maine, value their town’s beauty, ruralness, and small town feel. They value the many natural resources the area has to offer, the friendliness of community members, and the elements of their town that show they are part of New England and southern Maine.

But residents want more for their town. They would like to see more gathering spaces for people, bike paths, and sidewalks that allow mobility without a car, and places to shop and eat that don’t require long drives. And they would like to see these new elements added to the area in ways that complement Waterboro’s small town feel instead of compromising it.

They have seen in other communities—and sometimes within their own town—how new development can either strengthen a New England town’s sense of place or detract from it.

Complementary development captures aspects of the look and feel of historic villages, while strip development and sprawl impose patterns that seem out of place.

Waterboro’s community members hope to preserve the small town feel and ruralness they love about the place they live while also inviting growth and development. They are considering ways to promote village centers in the town as one step towards accomplishing this goal. This document focuses on the ability of four areas (North Waterboro, Waterboro Center, East Waterboro, and South Waterboro) to evolve over time into strong village centers where Waterboro residents can live, shop, and walk about—village centers that provide residents with a strong sense of place.

This report is designed to contribute to residents’ ongoing dialogue regarding Waterboro’s future. It begins with a summary of the initial information gathered from community members about the direction in which Waterboro should be headed.

Historical trends and changes in the town’s landscape are then briefly presented. This is followed by a discussion of the characteristics common throughout many successful village centers elsewhere. These characteristics are then considered against what is currently allowed and

encouraged in Waterboro.

Waterboro’s four focus areas are first viewed as a whole through the lens of their environmental constraints and opportunities, and then examined individually in terms of village components already in place versus those still lacking.

Possible future actions to enhance village structure and function are suggested for each of the areas.

A concluding part of this document offers recommendations for next steps the community can take towards encouraging he development of village centers in the four focus areas. These actions offer options to Waterboro residents as they continue their discussion towards establishing a greater sense of place for their town through the creation of vibrant village centers that are economically and ecologically sustainable.

A COMMUNITY WITH RICH NATURAL RESOURCES AND A GROWING POPULATION Waterboro is located in southern Maine, 28 miles west of Portland. According to the Census Bureau, the population has been steadily increasing since 1960, reaching 7,693 people in 2010 (US Census Bureau), spread out across the town’s 57.4 square miles. Pockets of population are concentrated in five areas: North Waterboro, East Waterboro, South Waterboro, Waterboro Center, and the Lake Arrowhead Community. State Routes 202, 4 and 5 cross the town, passing through four of these five areas. Seven towns border Waterboro: Limerick, Limington, Alfred, Lyman, Hollis, Newfield, and Shapleigh. The town has important natural features that draw tourists to the area year round, such as the Waterboro Pine Barrens, Little Ossipee Pond, Waterboro

ENVISIONING VILLAGES IN WATERBORO PRESERVING A “SMALL TOWN FEELING”

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2. Planning for the Future In an effort to provide guidance regarding the direction Waterboro should be heading in the next ten years, a group of residents known as the 20/20 Master Planning Committee is developing a Master Plan for the town. In 2010, the Committee distributed a questionnaire to community members regarding future development in Waterboro. This was not intended to be a scientific survey, but rather a way for the Committee to receive initial feedback about what residents value about the town and also the direction in which residents feel the town’s development should be heading. The survey provided the Committee a jumping off point to begin researching and seeking out solutions to address concerns brought forth by citizens.

The survey was given to senior citizens, eleventh and twelfth grade students at Massabesic High School, and other residents. The questions included: 1. What do you value and love about Waterboro?

2. What would you like to see in Waterboro in the future?

Answers were compiled for each group, and found to be similar across different ages. Most people cited the town’s natural resources (e.g., Little Ossipee Pond and Ossipee Mountain), its beauty, its ruralness, and its “small town feel” as the attributes they valued most in Waterboro. Many listed a need for gathering spaces, overnight lodging, access to natural resources, sidewalks, bike paths, and places to shop as features they want to see developed in the future.

The 20/20 Master Planning Committee then invited the Conway School to partner with them in examining the possibility of developing village centers within Waterboro. The Committee is hopeful that enhanced village centers will foster a sense of community throughout the town and provide missing elements such as gathering spaces and shops. They hope these centers can concentrate development in appropriate areas so as to preserve the town’s rural character and protect its highly valued natural resources. The

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Committee requested that the Conway student team: •

Evaluate the potential for village centers in four areas: North Waterboro, Waterboro Center, East Waterboro, and South Waterboro;

•

Suggest alternative approaches to zoning ordinances to aid in developing village centers;

•

Explore how area schools, lakes, residential neighborhoods, conservation land (such as the Waterboro Pine Barrens), and town amenities (such as post offices and restaurants) could be connected to one another and the potential village centers.

The 20/20 Master Planning Committee suggested a list of key stakeholders to be interviewed about the town’s future. In order to be consistent with the original questionnaire, these key stakeholders were asked the same two questions as those in the questionnaire sent in 2010. The responses were very similar to those received from the questionnaire; those interviewed love Waterboro’s ruralness and “small town feel” and would like to see these features preserved with any future development. Several spoke of concerns about whether Waterboro had a plan in place to manage future population growth and development.

Although the Committee will reach out to more community members over time, the similarity in answers by such a broad range of groups suggests some consensus about these aspects of 20/20 MASTER PLANNING COMMITTEE VISION STATEMENT “To provide a series of action plans to achieve and shape the future growth of Waterboro through a productive, inclusive community effort that continuously improves and protects our quality of life by reaching a balance between economic development, environmental sustainability, and community livability, in order to provide a legacy for our future generations.”

ENVISIONING VILLAGES IN WATERBORO PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE

3. Changes in the Landscape Waterboro’s landscape has seen many changes over time. Water, fire, forests, and people have all had an influence in shaping the patterns of the town. Understanding these factors and patterns will help in finding effective ways to guide future development in Waterboro.

A TOWN SHAPED BY WATER AND FIRE The area encompassing Waterboro and surrounding towns was once known to the Abenaki Indians as Massabesic—the place of much water (Lord 1987). It was not, however, the region’s many lakes that first drew Europeans to the area, but the seemingly endless tracts of timber. Mills sprang up to process the timber; by 1886 Waterboro was producing 1.8 million board feet of lumber every year (Lord 1987). The need for water to power the mills and hold the logs resulted in the damming of Little Ossipee River,

Photo Credit: Ted Dyer

Figure 2: The Great Fires of 1947 burned all of Waterboro to the ground, with the exception of Waterboro Center. As a result, the town has few historic structures in existence today.

for seventeen (mostly small, one-room) schools.

Farmers would gather in Waterboro Center to pick up their mail and ship their produce to Boston via stagecoach. For the most part, each of the villages was self sufficient; travel was difficult, particularly in winter, so each village had its own general store and church, allowing residents to stay close to home. The overall result was the feeling of “towns within a town” (Carll 2012), where residents interacted within their particular villages more than across Waterboro as a whole.

South and East Waterboro became the commercial districts because of their proximity to

Photo Credit: Tammy Keimach

Figure 1: Now used for recreational purposes, Little Ossipee Pond in Waterboro Center was originally created for use by the mills.

which created Little Ossipee Pond (Carll 2012), often referred to as Little Ossipee Lake. The pond is now used recreationally, drawing hundreds of people each year to swim, boat, and fish in its waters. The other large lake in Waterboro, Lake Arrowhead, was the result of a hydroelectric dam built by Central Maine Power in the 1940s.

At one time, the town had many villages, enough

Photo Credit: Eastern Collection, Penobscot Marine Museum

Figure 3: Waterboro had many villages at one time, though only a few remain today. South Waterboro, shown in the above photograph dated 1929, was historically the town’s commercial hub.

ENVISIONING VILLAGES IN WATERBORO CHANGES IN THE LANDSCAPE

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the Portland and Rochester Railroad (built in the 1860s), which was part of the Boston and Maine Railroad.

For example, data collected by the Urban Land Institute (2005) suggests that: Many government agencies now realize they cannot afford to continue providing the infrastructure and public services that sprawl demands. Not only do local governments absorb much of the cost of more and more roadways, profoundly longer water and electrical lines, and much larger

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POPULATION IS INCREASING According to the Census Bureau, Waterboro’s population remained fairly steady throughout the first part of the twentieth century, but in 1970 it began to grow by about 1,600 people per decade (about 13 people per month). This trend can also be seen in York County, in which Waterboro sits, and in the state of Maine (see figure 4) (US Census Bureau). With this increasing population came unplanned residential and commercial development in Waterboro, both of which can be costly in ways often unforeseen by residents.

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While roads physically connect North Waterboro, Waterboro Center, East Waterboro, and South Waterboro, residents in each area have not necessarily felt a strong social connection to residents of other areas. These “towns within a town” have continued to the present day (Carll 2012). A commonality with all four areas, however, is the threat of unplanned development within and around the villages that could compromise Waterboro’s much appreciated rural character.

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The first of two large fires burned part of South Waterboro in 1911. The next fire, in 1947, burned sections of every village in Waterboro except Waterboro Center. By that time the town’s population had already begun to decline, and only three villages, North, South, and East Waterboro, were redeveloped (Carll 2012).

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Figure 4: According to the Census Bureau, Waterboro’s population (top) has been steadily increasing over the past forty years. This trend can be seen in York County (middle), in which Waterboro sits, and in Maine (bottom). Much of the population growth in Waterboro has been spread across the town, increasing the cost of public services and infrastructure and potentially contributing to the feeling of many residents that the town’s ruralness is being lost.

ENVISIONING VILLAGES IN WATERBORO CHANGES IN THE LANDSCAPE

sewer systems to support sprawling development, they must also fund public services to the new residents who live farther and farther from the core community. These new residents need police and fire protection, schools, libraries, trash removal, and other services.

Stretching all these basic services over evergrowing geographic areas places a great burden on local governments. (Haughey 10)

see a movie, or go bowling in nearby Sanford or Biddeford (eighteen miles away). Most of the high school students responding to the 2010 survey distributed by the 20/20 Master Planning Committee mentioned a lack of “places to hang out in Waterboro,” requiring them to travel to nearby towns to spend time with friends. Elderly people in the community voiced the same complaint: too few places to gather with friends.

While there are some outdoor options for gathering with friends, such as the public beach at Little Ossipee Pond, there are few indoor spaces. Larger gatherings are even more problematic; only the schools can accommodate large groups of people indoors. This lack of indoor gathering space can be particularly difficult during Maine’s long winters.

Encouraging people to settle closer together, such as in village centers, helps to make these services more compact, decreasing the financial costs associated with them.

Although there are numerous small businesses within Waterboro, including construction, health care, and insurance, many residents commute to nearby Portland (thirty miles away) or Sanford (ten miles away) via Route 202. The section of Route 202 that passes through Waterboro sees approximately 10,000 cars daily (US Census Bureau). Much of the traffic on Route 202 is also a result of residents leaving Waterboro to shop,

LAND HAS BEEN RETURNING TO FOREST OR HAS BEEN DEVELOPED Many residents love Waterboro’s rural atmosphere, citing it as one of their favorite aspects of living in the town. But a number of residents believe the

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Figure 5: Waterboro Center in 1970 (left) and 2010 (right) While there has been some new development in Waterboro Center since 1970, there has also been a considerable increase in forest cover. This has allowed the protective riparian buffer (see section 6) between Waterboro Center and Little Ossipee Pond to increase.

ENVISIONING VILLAGES IN WATERBORO CHANGES IN THE LANDSCAPE

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Figure 6: South Waterboro in 1970 (left) and 2010 (right) Many houses already existed around the main intersection in South Waterboro in 1970, though more have been built in the years since. Some buildings have been removed, such as those that were once south of Goodwin Mills Road. Areas that have not been built on have reverted to forest. This is especially important along the river that runs through the area (see left side of both photos), as the trees provide a protective riparian buffer for the water (see section 6).

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Figure 7: East Waterboro in 1970 (left) and 2010 (right) Commercial structures have replaced much of the open land along Route 202 and Route 5 in the last ten years. While the businesses located at this intersection are important to residents, this new development is leading many to consider what they want Waterboro to look like in the future.

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ENVISIONING VILLAGES IN WATERBORO CHANGES IN THE LANDSCAPE

town’s rural feeling is beginning to disappear as more land is developed. Some evidence of this trend can be seen by comparing historical and contemporary aerial photographs (see figures 5, 6, and 7). These photo pairs show Waterboro Center, East Waterboro, and South Waterboro in 1970 and 2010.

In 1970, much of the land surrounding Waterboro’s main roads (Route 202 and Route 5) was either undeveloped or in large parcels with a single house. Areas of North Waterboro (not included in figures 5, 6, and 7 due to unavailable data) were still used to pasture sheep or cows, and the town as a whole had a rural feel. South Waterboro was the exception; the railroad attracted businesses to the area and people followed, settling in slightly higher numbers than they did elsewhere in the town (Carll 2012).

In the 2010 photographs, changes are most noticeable at the intersection of Route 202 and Route 5 in East Waterboro, where several large buildings now cover what were once fields. But in other areas, like Waterboro Center, land has not been developed; instead, former fields have reverted to forests. This reforestation could be beneficial to the stability of ecosystems within the town. For instance, the reforested land in Waterboro Center has created a larger riparian buffer between developed areas and Little Ossipee Pond.

The town is currently tackling the question of how to plan for development and encourage it in appropriate areas instead of allowing strip development to grow along main roads and unplanned residential development to spread out across the town. Through the creation of village centers in four focus areas, the Town hopes to preserve the rural atmosphere loved by so many residents, while still providing opportunities for new residents and new businesses moving to Waterboro.

ENVISIONING VILLAGES IN WATERBORO CHANGES IN THE LANDSCAPE

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4. Creating a Village Feel It is easy for most people to recognize a successful village when they see one, even if they are not aware of the specific features contributing to that success. Town planners across the country have been paying more attention to studying these components of success, and now suggest that much of it has to do with the height, location, and density of buildings, along with the presence of street trees, sidewalks and other elements that promote walkability.

ALTERNATIVE ZONING CAN PROMOTE A “SENSE OF PLACE” Planners, developers, architects, landscape designers, realtors, city and town officials, environmentalists, historic preservationists, and community activists have been reconsidering the conventional zoning responsible for the look and feel of many towns and cities in the United States today. Organizations such as the American Institute of Architects, the American Planning Association, Congress for a New Urbanism, and many others are advocating zoning codes that allow mixed-use, higher density developments that cut down on the need for automobiles, save energy and infrastructure costs, and create a greater “sense of place” than conventional zoning.

These alternative zoning ideas are associated with

planning concepts that have many names: Smart Growth, Traditional Neighborhood Development, Sustainable Development, Form-based Coding, New Urbanism, Goal-Oriented Zoning, and New Community Design. All aim to create vibrant communities. While the look of villages created using these concepts can vary greatly, in more rural areas they often take a form reminiscent of villages constructed before the twentieth century, with buildings of varying height lining the street, wide sidewalks shaded by trees, and a town common.

Every town is unique, and should have zoning regulations that reflect its qualities. However, there are some common features that can be identified in contemporary thinking about how to plan for a greater sense of place: The following are some of those features: Rather than being set back from the street to make room for parking, buildings are brought to the edge of the sidewalk and used to line the street, evoking a feeling of an “outdoor room in which the ‘walls’ are the front facades of buildings and the ‘floor’ consists of the street, sidewalk, and the front yards of buildings” (Russell 2001 and 2003; Arendt 1994; Ewig; Burden 2012a).

Photo Credit: Jeanette O’Connor

Figure 8: Just north of Waterboro, Limerick’s village center possesses several of the village characteristics necessary for a successful village center: buildings of varying height lining the street, wide and continuous sidewalks, street trees, and a town common.

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ENVISIONING VILLAGES IN WATERBORO CREATING A VILLAGE FEEL

Figure 9: Successful village centers often have maximum front and side setbacks and smaller lot sizes, with the result that streets are lined with buildings instead of empty spaces and the block has a unified feel. Shops and restaurants at street level make the block interesting, and combined with apartments and studios above, encourage a constant flow of people in the town center.

Parking lots are moved behind buildings, allowing wide sidewalks that encourage pedestrian activity. Seating, such as benches, allow people to rest or sit and talk with friends. Street trees provide shade in the summer, a buffer from automobiles, and beauty. (Shown here Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts).

Photo Credit: David Andrews

This can be accomplished in several ways: •

Build-to lines or maximum setbacks (versus the minimum setbacks of conventional zoning) ensure that buildings meet the sidewalk and street, rather than having parking lots streetside.

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Minimum side setbacks are exchanged for maximum side setbacks or minimum frontage build-out requirements that eliminate vast empty spaces between buildings and have a unifying effect on the block. Buildings can be close together or even share a common wall.

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Smaller lot sizes allow greater building density.

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Minimum and maximum height restrictions are combined to encourage buildings of appropriate heights. There is a direct correlation between the distance between opposing buildings and the height necessary for those buildings to provide a feeling of enclosure. Typically, one-story buildings cannot produce the “cozy village feel” so often tangible in historic villages unless roads are very narrow. This is a particular problem in places that have mostly one-story

buildings, wide streets, and minimum front setbacks, which can produce a sea of openness—usually filled with parking lots— between buildings and the street.

Buildings are allowed to have mixed-uses; offices, studios, and dwelling units are situated above shops, restaurants, and other pedestriangenerating businesses located at street-level (Ewig; Dunham-Jones 2005; MARC; Arendt 1994; Burden 2012a; Russell 2001 and 2003).

This is important because: •

People are the lifeblood of a village. Having residents living within village boundaries creates conditions for a more constant flow of people that in turn can produce a sense of liveliness within the village center.

•

Mixed-use development can also allow a diversity of housing options for a diversity of income levels and age groups. Single-family homes are often not affordable for, or enticing to, young people and elderly members of the community. These two groups are attracted to multi-family housing and areas that allow

ENVISIONING VILLAGES IN WATERBORO CREATING A VILLAGE FEEL

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them transportation options beyond the car and offer a mix of things to do.

Streets are altered to slow traffic, allowing pedestrians and cyclists to feel safer (MARC; Burden 2012a and 2012b; Jackson 2010; Nicholls 2011; Russell 2001; Ewig).

There are many methods for slowing cars, including: •

Lowering speed limits (and enforcing those lowered speed limits).

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Building bump-outs to narrow the streets in spots, adding speed bumps, constructing traffic circles, and painting crosswalks.

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Re-purposing some of the road into bike lanes.

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Designing and constructing narrower streets.

Photo Credit: Jeanette O’Connor

The streetscape is focused on pedestrians instead of automobiles (Burden 2012a and 2012b; Ewig; MARC; Jackson 2010; Russell 2001).

This is possible because: •

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Parking lots are located behind buildings.

Parking in front of buildings is only allowed in spaces parallel to the street. Such spaces, along with the parking areas to the rear of buildings, are shared among buildings instead of each business being required to have its own parking.

Parking areas are made safer for pedestrians; walkways, lights, and trees guide people to well-lit, clean pathways that connect to building fronts.

Public gathering spaces are present in vibrant villages, often as a town commons, park, plaza, or other open space (Dunham-Jones 2005; MARC; EWIG; Arendt 1994).

Photo Credit: Jeanette O’Connor

Figure 10: Successful village centers are pedestrian-focused, instead of automobile-focused. Contiguous, wide sidewalks invite pedestrians to walk from one destination to another (top).

Regularly spaced trees provide shade on hot days and shield pedestrians from vehicles on the road (top). The streetscape is not dominated by parking lots; parking in front of buildings is only allowed in spaces parallel to the street (above). Streets are often narrower, slowing traffic and allowing pedestrians and cyclists to feel safe (above).

markets, concerts, and Fourth of July celebrations.

•

Such spaces allow for: •

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Small and large gatherings such as farmer’s

ENVISIONING VILLAGES IN WATERBORO CREATING A VILLAGE FEEL

The ability to socialize with community members and visitors in formal and informal ways.

friends, an especially important attribute for elderly walkers.

Streets are laid out in a grid pattern, instead of radially (see figure 12) (Hess 2005; Ewig; Russell 2001; MARC).

This is because: •

Historically, the roads of many towns and cities created a grid that produced short city blocks (300 - 500 feet on a side) and small lots on which to build, producing a street system shared by both cars and people.

•

In contrast, radial roads tend to create city blocks that are much longer than 500 feet, with few intersections and large lots. This encourages a focus on cars instead of people.

•

Whereas a grid system allows a person to walk directly to a destination, a radial road system requires indirect routes be taken. A quartermile walk might turn into a one-mile walk, making walking a less enticing option than driving. The long, straight characteristic of radial roads allows cars to move at higher speeds, making walking a less safe option.

And the long blocks can make walking seem endless, instead of interesting and new every few hundred feet.

Photo Credit: Jeanette O’Connor

Figure 11: Clean, well-maintained alleys connect parking lots behind buildings to the streetscape (left). Buildings set close together and with varying heights create a “cozy” feel within the village center.

The streetscape is inviting and interesting to passersby (Jackson 2010; Burden 2012b; MARC; Arendt 1994; Ewig; Russell 2001; Nicholls 2011).

Streets are made attractive to pedestrians through: •

Contiguous, wide sidewalks that encourage pedestrians to walk between destinations and provide public gathering spaces.

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Large, regularly spaced street trees that provide shade on hot summer days and shield pedestrians from vehicles on the road.

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Handicap accessibility, including ramps and depressed curbs.

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Benches that offer places to rest or meet

Schools, homes, businesses, and services are within walking distance of one another (Arendt 1994; Burden 2012b; MARC; Planning Commission TOD Committee; Walkable.org).

Specifically: •

Elementary schools and public buildings, such as the library, post office, and town hall, are within one-quarter mile of the town center.

•

High schools are within one-mile of the town center.

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Residences are within a half-mile of the town center.

ENVISIONING VILLAGES IN WATERBORO CREATING A VILLAGE FEEL

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© 2011 Google

© 2011 Google

Figure 12: Radial streets, such as those in Waterboro Center (left), can make walking directly to a destination difficult and increase travel time.

Gridded streets, such as those in Old Forge, New York (right), allow more direct routes (and more choices) for reaching a destination.

THERE ARE NUMEROUS BENEFITS OF BEING ABLE TO WALK PLACES Walking provides increased access for old and young

The Census Bureau predicts the percentage of people aged 65 and older in the United States will double by 2050. A 1999 study by Roper Starch Worldwide found that most of these people would like to stay in their homes, or at least their towns, as they age. Explains Dunham-Jones in Retrofitting Suburbia (2005) “the auto-dependent nature of suburbia, where the majority of boomers and the elderly live, hardly makes this an ideal alternative. Already, more than half of non-drivers [in the United States] aged 65 and older say they stay home because their transportation options are limited.” Towns that are walkable allow people who cannot drive (or choose not to) to still run errands, meet friends, get exercise, and participate in community activities. In addition to older members of the community, children are either “stranded at home or dependent upon chauffeuring parents” (Solnit 2000) if walkable streets are not available.

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Walking offers one option for combating inactivity A 2009 report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists heart disease as the number one leading cause of adult deaths in the United States and diabetes as the seventh leading cause.

Inactivity and obesity are risk factors for both heart disease and diabetes (CDC 2012a; CDC 2011). Obesity is on the rise; more than one-third of adults and 17 percent of children aged two through nineteen in the United States are obese (CDC 2012b). One-quarter or more of Maine’s adult population is obese (CDC 2012b). The ability to walk or bike to one’s destination, instead of driving, provides one option for combating inactivity in daily life (Jackson 2010).

Driving a car is becoming increasingly expensive Having multiple transportation choices is becoming increasingly important as oil and gas prices continue to increase. The ability to safely bike and walk along streets allows people of all income levels to interact with their community.

ENVISIONING VILLAGES IN WATERBORO CREATING A VILLAGE FEEL

More homebuyers are attracted to walkable towns

Photo Credit: Greater Wellington Regional Council

Many Americans are attracted to communities that offer a higher density and walkable streets.

The National Association of Realtors and Smart Growth America published a study in 2004 that stated “six in ten prospective homebuyers, when asked to choose between two communities, chose the neighborhood that offered a shorter commute, sidewalks, and amenities like shops, restaurants, libraries, schools, and public transportation within walking distance. They preferred this option over the one with longer commutes and larger lots but limited options for walking.”

HIGHER DENSITY CREATES VIBRANT VILLAGES AND PROTECTS OPEN SPACE There is rising evidence that higher density communities are preferred by many people. A study by the University of North Carolina found that when provided with “a choice between two attractively designed communities, one higher density and the other low density, the majority [of participants] preferred the higher-density option” (Malizia and Goodman 2000). These higher

Photo Credit: Carlos Wright

Figure 13 a,b: Sidewalks and bike lanes help separate people from cars (a, top), and crosswalks signal safe places to cross the street (b, middle).

Figure 14: Village centers that are walkable allow people who cannot drive (or choose not to) to still run errands, meet friends, get exercise, and participate in community activities. Public spaces with seating encourage informal gatherings that contribute to a “sense of place” and a feeling of belonging (right, bottom).

Photo Credit: Jeanette O’Connor

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density, mixed-use communities foster social interaction between diverse groups of people, contributing to “a sense of belonging” often missing in areas where people are separated from their neighbors (Haughey 2005).

Higher density dwellings in a village center can have a positive effect on nearby property values.

A study published in 2003 by Virginia Tech found that “over the long run, well-placed market-rate apartments with attractive design and landscaping actually increases the overall value of detached houses nearby.”

Many communities, worrying that an increasing population and strip development is threatening the rural fabric of their town, have attempted to preserve open land through zoning that requires large lot sizes and widely spaced structures (in

Original Six-Acre Parcel

other words, zoning that encourages low density instead of high density). Although it seems contradictory, it is higher density, not lower density, that preserves open space and can prevent the loss of a town’s rural feel. In HigherDensity Development: Myth and Fact (2005), Haughey points to “inefficient land use, not economic growth,” as the reason behind the high rate at which open space and farms are being lost. According to Smart Growth America, since 1994, housing lots larger than ten acres have accounted for 55 percent of the land developed [in the United States]” (quoted in Haughey 2005). This loss of land often causes unexpected economic challenges for rural communities, where farmland, forests, ranchland, and open space tend to be the economic drivers that attract businesses, residents, and tourists. Low-density sprawl compromises the resources that are the core of the community’s economy and character (Haughey 2005).

Figure 15 demonstrates this concept. One option, Option A, is to develop the six-acre parcel into six one-acre lots in accordance with conventional zoning. No part of the parcel is left undeveloped, wildlife habitat becomes fragmented, and the feeling of ruralness is decreased. Option B applies alternative zoning, allowing smaller lot sizes. The same six-acre parcel is now developed into eight one-quarter-acre lots near one another. Four acres of land are left undeveloped, maintaining a feeling of open space and preserving wildlife habitat.

Option A

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Figure 15: Under conventional zoning, a six-acre parcel is divided into six one-acre lots (Option A). No part of the parcel is left undeveloped, wildlife habitat becomes fragmented, and the feeling of ruralness is replaced by a suburban appearance. Under alternative zoning, the same six-acre lot is developed into eight one-quarter-acre lots, leaving four acres undeveloped (Option B). Option B allows the developer to build more houses, creates houses that may be easier to sell, has lower infrastructure costs, and preserves wildlife habitat and a sense of ruralness.

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Option B is a positive outcome for many interested parties: More houses can be built than would have been allowed under conventional zoning, so there is potential for developers to make a larger profit. Houses may be easier to sell.

Infrastructure costs are lower since roads and municipal services do not need to be stretched over as large an area. And undeveloped land remains, preserving a sense of ruralness, providing wildlife habitat, and offering green space for residents.

ENVISIONING VILLAGES IN WATERBORO CREATING A VILLAGE FEEL

5. Strengthening Waterboro’s Village Centers Waterboro’s current village zoning allows for some of the ideal village components discussed in section four. Revisions to that zoning could include more of the features needed to ensure successful village centers in the town’s future.

WATERBORO’S CURRENT VILLAGE ZONING The ordinances now in place in areas zoned “village” require a minimum front setback of twenty-five feet and minimum side and rear setbacks of twenty feet. Such rules have resulted in large gaps between buildings and empty spaces meeting the street instead of buildings. In addition, buildings cannot enclose the street because opposing buildings across streets are (due to the setbacks) often more than 150 feet from one another. This problem is exacerbated by the requirement of a maximum height restriction, instead of a minimum height restriction, which has produced almost no buildings taller than one-story.

Like many other towns, parking lots are allowed in front of commercial buildings in Waterboro and each business has an individual requirement to provide a certain number of parking spaces for employees and customers. For instance, restaurants are required to have one space for every three seats plus one space for every three

employees; professional offices are required to have one space for every two-hundred square feet of non-storage floor area plus one space for every three employees; and pre-schools are required to have one space for every twenty students plus one space for every three employees. Such an expanse of asphalt can be uninviting, uninteresting, and possibly unsafe for pedestrians, producing a focus on automobile over pedestrian traffic. When, in addition to front-facing parking lots there are no sidewalks, a potentially important option for public gathering space is missing, one that can encourage spontaneous socializing among community members.

Areas in Waterboro zoned “village” are already allowed to have both commercial and residential activities within their borders. Businesses, like barbershops, laundromats, banks, realtors, and cafes, are permitted to operate next door to residences. Allowing a mix of uses such as these is a step in the right direction towards the higher density needed to develop vibrant village centers.

Current zoning, however, requires each business or home within the village be on lots of either twenty- or forty-thousand square feet. This results in a fragmented streetscape with widely spaced buildings and diminishes the benefits of having multiple uses in the same area. The Town permits

Credit: Carlos Wright

Credit: Carlos Wright

Credit: Carlos Wright

Credit: Carlos Wright

Figure 16: While current zoning in Waterboro allows for plenty of parking in front of businesses (left, top and bottom), it does not provide safe and inviting areas for people to walk or bike. Moving parking lots behind buildings (right, top and bottom) and allowing businesses to share parking space produces a more welcoming streetscape for everyone.

ENVISIONING VILLAGES IN WATERBORO STRENGTHENING WATERBORO’S VILLAGE CENTERS

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© 2011 Google

© 2011 Google

Figure 17: Ensuring that zoning regulations allow mixed-use buildings that encourage density and small lot sizes where buildings can be near one another is important for creating a village feel. Cornish, Maine (left), whose village center has been mentioned by Waterboro residents as a place they enjoy visiting, has a structural density equivalent to that of South Waterboro (right) within the one-quarter-mile radius shown. South Waterboro does not possess Cornish’s “cozy village feel,” however, because South Waterboro’s buildings are spread apart on larger lots, while those in Cornish are closer to each other on smaller lots.

buildings to be clustered together (clustering can produce a more continuous streetscape), but does not reduce the required lot size.

For example, in order to have two buildings close together, they must each be on a parcel of land totaling either forty- or eighty-thousand square feet (depending on the type of use). Setbacks require these structures remain at least twenty feet apart. The end result is that continuous facades are not possible, even with this clustering mechanism in place.

ANALYZING FUTURE VILLAGE CENTERS In an ideal village center, a mix of shops, businesses, restaurants, green spaces, municipal buildings, and multi-family housing are within a quarter-mile of the village midpoint. Single-family houses and green spaces fill the land between the quarter-mile and half-mile mark. In more recently constructed or retrofitted village centers, these distances are based on the fact that most people are willing to walk between one-quarter and onehalf mile to reach their destination (MARC;

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Walker; Ewing; Planning Commission TOD Committee; Walkable.org).

To begin examining potential village centers in Waterboro’s four focus areas, radii were drawn one-quarter mile and one-half mile from the main crossroads (assumed to be the midpoint of future village centers). These radii allowed three questions to be asked consistently of each focus area: 1. What are some of the village components already in existence in each of the focus areas?

2. Where are ecologically important lands within or near each focus area?

3. How do these focus areas relate to Waterboro’s current zoning map?

Using the answers to these questions, the radii were adjusted to reflect the constraints of ecologically important lands on proposed village centers. The radii were also applied to the current zoning map and altered again to conform to parcel boundaries within each focus area.

ENVISIONING VILLAGES IN WATERBORO STRENGTHENING WATERBORO’S VILLAGE CENTERS

Natural resources were examined both within and outside of the half-mile radius. Key built features near the half-mile radius were also recorded to gain a fuller understanding of the context of these proposed village centers.

The purpose of the various maps in sections 6 and 7 is not to determine exactly where village center boundaries should be. Instead, they are available as a tool to encourage discussion in the community about planning for future sustainable villages.

ENVISIONING VILLAGES IN WATERBORO STRENGTHENING WATERBORO’S VILLAGE CENTERS

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6. Waterboro’s Ecologically Important Landscapes Waterboro is a town with many natural resources that are important ecologically, economically, and socially. The proposed boundaries for all four village centers cross parts of these resource areas.

Figures 18, 19, and 20 display this relationship using data from the Beginning with Habitat program. This program is a collaborative effort by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, Maine Natural Areas Program, Maine Audubon Society, Maine State Planning Office, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Maine Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Southern Maine Regional Planning Commission, The Nature Conservancy, and Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve to “secure Maine’s outdoor legacy” (Beginning with Habitat). Much of the information discussed in this section refers to information pooled by these organizations and agencies. The layers of information on Figure 18, 19, and 20 were provided by the Beginning with Habitat program.

WETLANDS AND WATERWAYS ARE LOCATED IN ALL FOUR FOCUS AREAS Wetlands are distributed throughout Waterboro, but concentrated in the southeast where they form a triangle between Waterboro Center, East Waterboro, and South Waterboro (see figure 18).

All four proposed village centers have wetlands within their boundaries. Additionally, Inland Waterfowl and Wading Habitat (IWWH) is scattered across Waterboro, with concentrations in the southeast and northwest of the town (see figure 18).

The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife defines IWWH as a “complex of freshwater wetland and open water areas plus a 250-foot-wide area surrounding the complex itself where inland species of waterfowl and wading birds nest” (MDEP 2007). South and North Waterboro both have IWWH areas within proposed village center boundaries.

The town has a few lakes and Great Ponds, most notably Little Ossipee Pond in Waterboro Center (part of the pond is located within the proposed village center boundary). Creeks and streams are

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found throughout the town but do not appear at the scale of the map shown in Figure 18.

WETLANDS PROVIDE CRUCIAL WILDLIFE HABITAT Wetlands are protected under Maine’s Natural Resources Protection Act (NRPA) and federally through the Clean Water Act, National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, Rivers and Harbors Appropriation Act of 1899, Federal Agriculture and Improvement and Reform Act of 1996, Endangered Species Act (ESA), and Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (EPA 2012). Wetlands have several important ecological functions, including trapping sediments, controlling floods, and transforming many chemical pollutants into harmless byproducts (Beginning with Habitat).

Wetlands provide an abundance of habitat for a variety of wildlife; these ecosystems are necessary to the survival of 43 percent of species listed as endangered and threatened in the United States (EPA 2008).

WATERWAYS PLAY DIVERSE, IMPORTANT ROLES The streams, rivers, and Great Ponds within Waterboro are important for wildlife habitat, groundwater recharge, and recreation. Waterboro’s Little Ossipee Pond has long been attracting visitors to its shores for both summer and winter activities. This Great Pond extends from Waterboro Center north to Chadbourne Ridge Road, just east of North Waterboro. Little Ossipee River, which runs along the northern border of the town, is used for whitewater canoeing and is an important source of trout and black bass fishing.

RIPARIAN AREAS PROTECT STREAMS AND LAKES Linking these water resources to dry or upland areas are riparian habitats. Many species of wildlife rely on this connection for survival, needing the uplands and wetlands at different points in their life cycle or during different seasons. Examples include Blanding’s and

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Figure 18: Proximity of Proposed Village Centers to Ecologically Important Wetlands and Waterways All four focus areas have wetlands, inland waterfowl and wading habitat, and/or Great Ponds and lakes within one-half mile of their main intersection. Wetlands shown are based on USFWS data, which are coarse and, particularly for forested wetlands, generally considered to be underestimated.

ENVISIONING VILLAGES IN WATERBORO WATERBORO’S ECOLOGICALLY IMPORTANT LANDSCAPES

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spotted turtles, wood frogs, spring peppers, gray tree frogs, spotted and blue spotted salamanders, and ringed boghaunters (a globally rare dragonfly) (Beginning with Habitat). Buffers provide shade to waterways, keeping temperatures cooler (an important feature for aquatic life requiring cold water, such as trout) (Chesapeake Bay Program).

but it cannot be less restrictive (MDEP 2003).

Waterboro should examine its policies towards buffer areas within proposed village centers to ensure future development is being done in such a way as to keep buffer areas intact and functional.

In addition to providing for the needs of wildlife, these areas are the last line of defense before stormwater runoff reaches sources of open water, providing one last chance for capturing and filtering pollutants that would adversely impact water quality. As a result, these areas are referred to as “buffers” and are protected under Maine’s Shoreland Zoning Act, part of Maine’s NRPA (Beginning with Habitat).

WETLANDS AND WATERWAYS AFFECT THE HEALTH OF RESIDENTS AND VISITORS The protection of wetlands and waterways is important to the health of Waterboro’s residents, many of whom depend on private wells for water.

While South Waterboro and parts of East Waterboro have public water lines, the water is being piped from a public well located within a wetland area between the two villages. Pollution reaching the groundwater could pose a threat to residents, who have already lost some of their water resources to a gasoline leak. Protecting buffer areas would aid in the protection of the town’s drinking water; by both filtering pollutants and storing water, they help maintain higher water quality and decrease the chance of wells going dry (Delaware River Keeper).

LEGALLY PROTECTED BUFFER AREAS FALL WITHIN PROPOSED VILLAGE BOUNDARIES Development within each of the proposed village centers will be affected by the Shoreland Zoning Act, which mandates that wetlands (at least ten acres in size), Great Ponds, and rivers have a buffer area 250 feet wide on all sides (Beginning with Habitat). Development can occur in these buffer areas, but the Shoreland Zoning Act restricts the amount and type of development. For instance, it sets clearing limitations, structure setbacks, erosion control, and sewage disposal (Issue Profile: Mandatory Shoreland Zoning).

Although Maine has a model ordinance that can be used by towns, towns have permission under the law to “adopt, administer, and enforce” their own version of the Shoreland Zoning Act as long as that version contains the minimum guidelines set by the state (MDEP 2003). “The state’s primary role, through the Department of Environmental Protection, is to provide technical assistance in the adoption, administration, and enforcement of these local ordinances” (MDEP 2003). Therefore, towns are not only in charge of designating buffer areas, they are also responsible for writing and enforcing the regulations within them (Beginning with Habitat). The town’s version of the Shoreland Zoning Act may be more restrictive than the model provided by the state,

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Preserving the integrity of wetlands and waterways is also important to the town for economic reasons; for example, visitors are less likely to spend time (and money) in Waterboro Center if Little Ossipee Pond no longer offers them a safe place to swim or fish.

CRITICAL TERRESTRIAL HABITATS ARE FOUND ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF TWO FOCUS AREAS Along with its many water resources, Waterboro has terrestrial habitats that are also ecologically important. Habitat for species listed as endangered, threatened, or of special concern are concentrated in the northwestern and southeastern areas of town (see figure 19). North and South Waterboro both have these types of habitat within the proposed village center boundaries. Rare plants and rare or exemplary natural communities are also located in the southeast and northwest, but none fall within the proposed village center boundaries (see figure

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Figure 19: Proximity of Proposed Village Centers to Ecologically Important Terrestrial Habitats A small amount of habitat for species listed as endangered, threatened, or special concern extends into North and South Waterboro’s proposed village centers. North Waterboro has land nearby under private protection through the Nature Conservancy. All four focus areas have rare plants and rare or exemplary natural communities nearby, but no lands with this designation fall within the proposed village centers.

ENVISIONING VILLAGES IN WATERBORO WATERBORO’S ECOLOGICALLY IMPORTANT LANDSCAPES

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19). Natural communities are those “tied to specific environmental settings and are not geographically transferable. Thus they warrant place-specific conservation attention” (Beginning with Habitat). The Waterboro Pine Barrens are a good example of a natural community. The barrens are located in the northeastern corner of Waterboro. While a section of the barrens is held in private conservation by The Nature Conservancy, other parts of this important ecosystem are susceptible to development.

THERE ARE ECONOMIC AND ECOLOGICAL REASONS TO PROTECT BOTH WETLAND AND WATERWAY HABITATS AND TERRESTRIAL HABITATS Aside from the numerous other reasons to protect the areas shown in figures 18 and 19, the plants and animals within them perform critical jobs (known as ecosystem services) such as “pollination, seed dispersal, [and] the cycling of nutrients that replenish soil, air, and water systems” (Beginning with Habitat). According to a study published in 1997 by Costanza et al., these services are worth an estimated thirty-three trillion dollars per year worldwide. “About 38% of the estimated value comes from terrestrial systems, mainly from forests...and wetlands” (Costanza et al. 259).

In addition, these places attract ecotourism dollars. Wildlife recreation in Maine generated 1.5 billion dollars in 2006. This number far exceeded the rest of the outdoor recreation businesses in Maine, including skiing and snowmobiling (Beginning with Habitat). These ecologically important places could aid in the development of village centers by drawing in both tourists who will spend money in Waterboro and residents who want to live near ecologically rich areas.

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VIBRANT VILLAGES COULD DRAW DEVELOPMENT AWAY FROM ECOLOGICALLY IMPORTANT AREAS Maine’s Endangered Species Act (MESA) protects habitat for species listed as endangered or threatened. Depending on the species, the habitat may also be protected under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA). MESA parallels ESA, stating that “a state agency or municipal government may not permit, license, fund or carry out projects that will significantly alter the habitat identified [as being necessary to the survival of ] any species designated as threatened or endangered (MDIFW 2010).

However, there is no protection for species of special concern, nor are rare or exemplary natural communities regulated unless they provide habitat for endangered or threatened species.

These areas are ecologically important, and Waterboro should consider directing development away from them.

Creating vibrant village centers may be one tool Waterboro can use to protect these lands from being developed, encouraging development towards village centers and away from ecologically important lands. By focusing development in specific areas designated by the Town (like village centers), places like the Pine Barrens have a better chance of remaining intact.

ECOLOGICALLY IMPORTANT AREAS INTEGRATED INTO PROPOSED VILLAGE CENTER BOUNDARIES The proposed village center boundaries can be redrawn to reflect the location of ecologically important lands (see figure 20). The original radii of one-quarter mile and one-half mile now have dotted sections indicating where Waterboro should consider discouraging development within proposed village centers because of ecologically important lands. Structures currently exist within some of the areas marked by dotted lines, but it is recommended that no further structures be added to these areas. Although state and federal

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Figure 20: Relationship of Ecologically Important Habitats and the Proposed Village Centers By overlaying figures 18 and 19, the proposed village center boundaries can be redrawn to reflect the location of ecologically important lands. The original radii of one-quarter mile and one-half mile now have dotted sections indicating where the Town should consider discouraging development within proposed village centers because of ecologically important lands.

ENVISIONING VILLAGES IN WATERBORO WATERBORO’S ECOLOGICALLY IMPORTANT LANDSCAPES

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law protect some of these lands, Waterboro may want to pursue additional measures for discouraging development on wetlands, rare communities, and habitat critical to endangered and threatened species.

Ecologically important lands place the fewest constraints on development in North Waterboro and place the most constraints on development in East Waterboro. Figure 21 lists the amount of acreage in each proposed village center not affected by legal restrictions associated with ecologically important lands compared to the amount of acreage in the original one-half-mile radius. It should be noted that some of the land shown in Figure 21 is already developed, so the numbers reflect the total amount of unrestricted land but not necessarily undeveloped land.

Total Area (acres)

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Figure 22: The number of acres currently zoned “village” compared to the number of acres that would be zoned “village” by adopting the boundaries proposed in figure 23. The numbers are approximate and include the ecologically important lands within the boundaries.

zoned “village”). Even though they may be zoned “village,” many are still protected by state and federal law, impacting how they are managed. Waterboro may want to consider setting these lands aside as protected green spaces within village centers.

•

Much of the boundary line shown for each of the four focus areas expands beyond the halfmile mark because the 20/20 Master Planning Committee requested parcels not be cut. Therefore, if the boundaries displayed in figure 23 are the boundaries the town decides to use, village centers may not be completely walkable (i.e., some areas will be much farther than one-half mile from the main crossroads).

•

The boundaries are centered over crossroads specified by the 20/20 Master Planning Committee, but the town may decide to center them over different crossroads. This would change the parcels over which the halfmile radii lay, and thereby the shape and size of the boundaries shown in figure 23.

Figures 28, 32, 39, and 43 in section 7 shows enlarged images of each village center to allow a comparison of the size, shape, and location of land currently zoned “village” to that of the land encompassed by the proposed village boundaries.

Figure 22 compares the number of acres currently zoned “village” to the number of acres that would be zoned “village” by adopting the boundaries proposed in figure 23. These numbers include ecologically important lands within the boundaries.

Several points should be noted when considering these new village center boundaries: •

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Ecologically important lands fall within these boundaries (as they do within areas currently

335 1,297

Figure 21: The amount of acreage in each proposed village center not affected by legal restrictions associated with ecologically important lands compared to the amount of acreage in the original one-half-mile radius. Numbers are approximate and reflect the total amount of unrestricted land, but not necessarily undeveloped land.

Total

APPLYING PROPOSED VILLAGE CENTER BOUNDARIES TO WATERBORO’S CURRENT PARCEL AND ZONING MAP The radii can be adjusted once more to reflect land parcels lying within the four focus areas (see figure 23). As requested by the 20/20 Master Planning Committee, the boundary was extended to encompass the entire parcel at any point where the radii cut through part of a parcel. These latest boundaries show where the town could consider applying the village zoning discussed in chapter three.

496 1,984

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Figure 23: Proposed Village Boundaries Based on Current Land Parcels The radii can be adjusted once more to reflect land parcels lying within the four focus areas. As requested by the 20/20 Master Planning Committee, the boundary was extended to encompass the entire parcel at any point where the radii cut through part of a parcel. These latest boundaries show where the town could consider applying the village zoning discussed in section four.

ENVISIONING VILLAGES IN WATERBORO WATERBORO’S ECOLOGICALLY IMPORTANT LANDSCAPES

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7. The Four Potential Village Centers eR

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EXISTING VILLAGE COMPONENTS In comparison with Waterboro Center, East Waterboro, and South Waterboro, North Waterboro has the least amount of developed land within one-half mile of the main crossroads. A post office, two churches, and a house are the only

structures at the crossroads, with a general store/ gas station just over one-quarter mile away (see figure 24). There are no sidewalks and only about thirty residences within a one-half-mile radius of the crossroads. However, the Lake Arrowhead community, which accounts for a third of Waterboro’s population (approximately two

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Figure 24: A post office, two churches, and a house are the only structures at the main intersection in North Waterboro, with a general store/ gas station just over one-quarter mile away.

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ENVISIONING VILLAGES IN WATERBORO THE FOUR POTENTIAL VILLAGE CENTERS

Figure 25: North Waterboro has the least amount of developed land within one-half mile of the main crossroads compared to Waterboro Center, East Waterboro, and South Waterboro.

Photo Credit: Jeanette O’Connor

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Figure 26: North Waterboro has two large wetland areas within the proposed village center boundary and a few others just outside. Habitat for species listed as endangered, threatened, or of special concern just barely extends into the boundary in the northeast.

ENVISIONING VILLAGES IN WATERBORO THE FOUR POTENTIAL VILLAGE CENTERS

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crossroads (not shown in aerials). The Town water system does not extend to this area (though Lake Arrowhead Community does have is own water system). All wastewater is treated with separate septic systems.

Photo Credit: Land Trust Assistance Project

Figure 27: The Waterboro Pine Barrens, possibly the largest and best example of this kind of ecosystem in Maine, is within one and a half miles of the main crossroads in North Waterboro.

thousand people on the Waterboro-side of the community), is within one mile of the main

NATURAL RESOURCES North Waterboro has two large wetland areas within the proposed village boundary and a small number outside (see figure 26). Habitat for species listed as endangered, threatened, or of special concern just barely extends slightly into the northeastern section of the boundary. Within one and a half miles of the main crossroads is the beginning of the Waterboro Pine Barrens (not shown on aerials), possibly the largest and best example of this ecosystem in Maine (Land Trust Assistance Project 2002). Little Ossipee River is

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Figure 28: The one-half-mile radius boundary has been adjusted to reflect land parcels lying within the North Waterboro focus area. The amount of land currently zoned “village” is considerably smaller than that of the land encompassed by the new proposed village boundary.

Ecologically important lands still fall within the boundary; Waterboro may want to consider setting these lands aside as protected green spaces within village centers.

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ENVISIONING VILLAGES IN WATERBORO THE FOUR POTENTIAL VILLAGE CENTERS

about one and a quarter miles from the main crossroads. The river is used for white-water canoeing and is an important source of trout and black bass fishing. For more information on the importance of these lands, see section 6.

PROPOSED VILLAGE BOUNDARY Figure 28 shows the proposed village boundary for North Waterboro adjusted to reflect the land parcels on Waterboro’s current parcel map.

Because some of the boundary expands beyond the original one-half-mile radius, the village center may not be completely walkable (i.e., some areas will be much farther than one-half mile from the main crossroads). Ecologically important lands still fall within the boundary; Waterboro may want to consider setting these lands aside as protected green spaces within village centers. See page 24 for further details.

POSSIBLE ACTIONS FOR CREATING A VILLAGE CENTER IN NORTH WATERBORO North Waterboro has much more undeveloped land within one-half mile of its main crossroads than the other three proposed village centers do.

Specific to North Waterboro, the Town may want to further explore the following ideas:

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Most likely there will be fewer legal constraints on the development of North Waterboro’s village center than the other three village centers because there are fewer ecologically important lands within North Waterboro’s proposed village center boundary.

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There may be opportunities to associate the village center with the Pine Barrens and Little Ossipee River, making North Waterboro a destination for visitors interested in hiking, camping, and fishing. The Town might consider encouraging lodging and hospitalityrelated development in the village center, such as a hostel, bed and breakfast, or motel/ hotel.

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Members of the Lake Arrowhead Community may frequent North Waterboro’s village center in the future, so the Town may want to explore ways in which this large-scale housing

development could have access to the village through means other than automobile, such as bike lanes, bike trails, or well-maintained gravel paths.

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With a considerable amount of undeveloped land, North Waterboro could provide space for the town to host annual celebrations within the village center, such as fall festivals, summer carnivals, or other similar activities that would contribute to town identity and a sense of place for community members.

FUTURE VISION: NORTH WATERBORO North Waterboro Village has become a well-known destination for outdoor enthusiasts throughout New England. Upon arrival, visitors can pick up information and last minute supplies at the North Waterboro general store, then walk next door for a hearty breakfast at the North Waterboro Café. The hard part is deciding what to do next: fish the black bass- and trout-filled waters of Little Ossipee River, or rent a tube at the rafting store (across the street from the general store) and spend the day floating along with the current. Perhaps it’s not the river you’ve come for, but the famous Waterboro Pine Barrens?

Although it is possible to drive to the Barrens (well-marked signs point the way), a wellmaintained trail starting behind the general store leads there as well, providing a mosaic of open farmland and forests along the way to hold the hiker’s interest. No need to worry about the car; it can be left in the parking lot, tucked behind the North Waterboro Hostel, next door to the North Waterboro café.

Returning to the village center after a long day in the sun, plenty of options are available for food and drink at the North Waterboro Pub, located beside the rafting store. With a full stomach, one can retreat to a cozy room at the hostel, drifting off to sleep to the sound of crickets and the occasional owl call.

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WATERBORO CENTER

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EXISTING VILLAGE se ou h R COMPONENTS out wn e5 To Waterboro Center boasts one of the most important natural and recreational features in Waterboro: Rou te 5 Little Ossipee Pond. Both residents and tourists use the pond year-round, and many of the approximately two hundred residences within © 2012 Microsoft Corporation; © 2010 NAV EQ one-half mile of Waterboro Center’s main crossroads can be found along the street. The town’s only apartment complex, the shoreline. The town’s elementary school, fire which houses many of the elderly in the department, and town hall are also located within community, is located within one-quarter mile of walking distance of the main crossroads (see the crossroads, as are two fast food restaurants figure 29). A small common is situated at the (one attached to a gas station) and an ice cream crossroads, with the Taylor House (a museum run shop. The middle school and Little Ossipee

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Figure 29: Within walking distance of Waterboro Center’s main intersection are the town’s elementary school, fire department, and only apartment complex, as well as town hall and the Taylor House.

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Figure 30: The Taylor House, located at the main crossroads in Waterboro Center, is one of the few buildings that survived the 1947 fires. It now serves as the town’s history museum, complete with a one-room schoolhouse in the backyard.

Photo Credit: Jeanette O’Connor

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Figure 31: Waterboro Center’s proposed village boundary is affected by wetlands (mainly to the south) and Little Ossipee Pond (to the north).

The wetlands in the southern portion of the boundary form a triangle with wetlands in East and South Waterboro.

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Pond’s beach are located just outside the halfmile radius. A sidewalk is currently being designed for the stretch of road extending from the middle school (three-quarters of a mile from the main crossroads) south to Friendship Park (just over one mile from the main crossroads), but the only existing sidewalk within the proposed village center boundary is in front of Town Hall.

Town water services do not extend into Waterboro Center. All wastewater is treated with separate septic systems.

NATURAL RESOURCES In addition to Little Ossipee Pond to the north, Waterboro Center is bordered by wetlands to the south. Wetlands extend into a portion of the proposed village boundary (see figure 31). For

more information on the importance of these lands, see section 6.

PROPOSED VILLAGE BOUNDARY Figure 32 shows the proposed village boundary for Waterboro Center adjusted to reflect the land parcels on Waterboro’s current parcel map.

Because some of the boundary expands beyond the original one-half-mile radius, the village center may not be completely walkable (i.e., some areas will be much farther than one-half mile from the main crossroads). Ecologically important lands still fall within the boundary; Waterboro may want to consider setting these lands aside as protected green spaces within village centers. See page 24 for further details.

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Figure 32: The one-half-mile radius boundary has been adjusted to reflect land parcels lying within the Waterboro Center focus area. The amount of land currently zoned “village” is considerably smaller than that of the land encompassed by the new proposed village boundary.

Ecologically important lands still fall within the boundary; Waterboro may want to consider setting these lands aside as protected green spaces within village centers.

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FUTURE VISION: WATERBORO CENTER As the school year draws to a close, it is time once again for the annual fourth-grade field trip to Waterboro Center Village.

Instead of boarding buses, students head out on foot, taking the meandering trails they’ve maintained as part of their science curriculum, through the woods to the fire department.

After a tour of the station and a chance to see the fire trucks and ambulances up close, they step out on the trail again, this time

walking to the Taylor House to learn about Waterboro’s history.

An hour later, they pause at a crosswalk at the corner of Route 5 and Townhouse Road to wait for a cyclist in the bike lane to pass by, then cross the street.

Walking down wide, tree-lined sidewalks, the students pass a row of businesses and shops below apartments before the next crosswalk takes them across Townhouse Road to Town Hall.

After a visit with some Selectmen to learn about town government in Waterboro, they

POSSIBLE ACTIONS FOR CREATING A VILLAGE CENTER IN WATERBORO CENTER Waterboro Center has many of the pieces in place to create a more vibrant village center, with schools and municipal buildings serving as anchors for the village. Specific to Waterboro Center, the town may want to further explore the following:

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walk back towards Route 5, to an ice cream shop next to the Waterboro Arts Center where many of them have taken dance, painting, or theater classes.

Taking their ice cream cones with them, they cross Route 5 and lick their dripping cones while sitting in Waterboro Center Commons. After crossing the street back to the Taylor House, they return to the wooded trails that will take them back to school after a day of exploring their village center.

memorial to the town’s war veterans is situated at the intersection of the main crossroads in Waterboro Center. While small (one-eighth of an acre), this area could become a gathering place for residents with, for example, the placement of a few benches and vegetation. A similar-sized piece of land in Pinehurst, North Carolina, is also situated at a crossroads at the center of town, but demonstrates that much can be done with even a small piece of land; plantings there,

Sidewalks and trails could provide a safer way for people to walk around the village center and beyond. For instance, the Town could pursue extending a sidewalk north from the middle school to the intersection of Old Alfred Road and Ossipee Hill Road. This would provide continuous walking access between the town center, the elementary, and the middle school. The sidewalk could be continued along Ossipee Hill Road, past the Taylor House and Applewood Apartments, to connect with the one in front of Town Hall. It could also extend along Route 5 north of the main crossroads to bring people from the village center to the beach at Little Ossipee Pond, three-quarters of a mile away.

Photo Credit: Jeanette O’Connor

A town common, characteristic of many New England village centers, offers a place for both informal and formal public gatherings and social interaction. A common with a

Figure 33: Little Ossipee Pond is a main attraction to both Waterboro residents and tourists. As a village center is developed, the town may want to implement methods such as vegetated buffers and permeable paving to capture and filter stormwater runoff before it reaches the lake.

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including a large oak to provide shade, invite walkers to rest on a bench placed along a footpath that cuts through the space (see figure 34). In addition, it may be possible for the common in Waterboro Center to be expanded to include a parcel of town-owned land next to the current common that is not being used currently.

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Waterboro Center already has some higher density near its main crossroads; Applewood Apartments contributes to this density.

Encouraging development with mixed-use buildings that provide dwellings upstairs and businesses or shops at street level would be another option for promoting walkability and

Photo Credit: Jeanette O’Connor

Town Common Base Map © 2012 Microsoft Corporation; © 2010 NAV EQ

higher density within this village center.

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Little Ossipee Pond is important from an ecological, economic, and health standpoint.

Polluted stormwater runoff could become a greater threat to the lake if the village center is more densely developed and more people are attracted to visit or settle in the area.

There are many methods the town can explore for capturing and filtering runoff before it reaches lake waters, including planting the shoreline with a vegetated buffer, installing green roofs on buildings, and constructing vegetated curb cuts in parking lots.

Photo Credit: Jeanette O’Connor

Town Common Base Map © 2012 Microsoft Corporation; © 2010 NAV EQ

Figure 34: The common in Waterboro Center (top left and above left), while small, has the potential to become a public gathering place for residents and visitors of the village center. A similar-sized piece of land in Pinehurst, North Carolina (top right and above right), is also situated at a crossroads at the center of town, but demonstrates that much can be done with even a small piece of land; plantings, including a large oak to provide shade, invite walkers to rest on a bench placed along a footpath that cuts through the space.

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ENVISIONING VILLAGES IN WATERBORO THE FOUR POTENTIAL VILLAGE CENTERS

EAST WATERBORO

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EXISTING VILLAGE COMPONENTS Route 5/Route 202 Many residents think of East Waterboro as the town’s new 02 commercial center, with features e2 t u such as Hannafords (the only Ro supermarket in town), Subway, Dunkin’ Donuts, Gorham Savings Bank, and Goodall Express (a © 2012 Microsoft Corporation; © 2010 NAV EQ walk-in health care clinic) all Waterboro along Route 202 to the main located within one-quarter mile of intersection in East Waterboro. Service continues the main crossroads (see figure 35). There are north on Route 5 to the middle school, where it sidewalks in front of some of the more recently ends. All wastewater is treated with separate constructed buildings and about one hundred septic systems. residences in a half-mile radius. A Napa Auto Parts store will soon be open at the main intersection. Water service extends from South

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Figure 35: East Waterboro is thought of by many as the town’s commercial center, with features such as Hannafords, Subway, Dunkin’ Donuts, Gorham Bank, and Goodall Hospital all located within walking distance of the main intersection.

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Figure 36: Waterboro’s only supermarket is located at the main crossroads in East Waterboro. In 2010, the Maine Department of Transportation recorded an Annual Average Daily Traffic count of 10,440 automobiles at this intersection.

Photo Credit: Jeanette O’Connor

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ENVISIONING VILLAGES IN WATERBORO THE FOUR POTENTIAL VILLAGE CENTERS

NATURAL RESOURCES Much of East Waterboro is covered in wetlands and waterfowl breeding grounds; these lands extend into much of the proposed village boundary (see figure 37). A well supplying water to part of East Waterboro and part of South Waterboro is located in a wetland between East and South Waterboro. Rare and exemplary natural communities and habitat for species listed as endangered, threatened, or of special concern are nearby, some less than a mile to the east of the main crossroads. For more information on the importance of these lands, see section 6.

Photo Credit: Jeanette O’Connor

Figure 38: A newly built complex houses a Subway shop and Dunkin Donuts, among other businesses. This is one of only a few buildings in Waterboro that feature more than one business in a building.

PROPOSED VILLAGE BOUNDARY Figure 39 shows the proposed village boundary for East Waterboro adjusted to reflect the land parcels on Waterboro’s current parcel map.

Because some of the boundary expands beyond

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Ecologically important lands still fall within the boundary; Waterboro may want to consider setting these lands aside as protected green spaces within village centers.

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the original one-half-mile radius, the village center may not be completely walkable (i.e., some areas will be much farther than one-half mile from the main crossroads). Ecologically important lands still fall within the boundary; Waterboro may want to consider setting these lands aside as protected green spaces within village centers. See page 24 for further details.

POSSIBLE ACTIONS FOR CREATING A VILLAGE CENTER IN EAST WATERBORO East Waterboro has elements in place to create a village center, with a grocery store and health clinic to serve as anchors. Specific to East Waterboro, the Town may want to further explore the following:

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Encourage development in East Waterboro with a focus on enriching the lives of the senior community. Seniors responding to the questionnaire distributed by the 20/20 Master Planning Committee requested more options for places to walk and gathering spaces. Many seniors have limited mobility, particularly in rural areas lacking public transportation. This can make it difficult to accomplish oncesimple tasks, like seeing a doctor, buying groceries, depositing a check in the bank, or having coffee with a friend. Because these businesses already exist in East Waterboro, seniors would have the ability to do all of these things within a one-quarter-mile loop from their homes if two features became available in the village center: continuous sidewalks to provide safe passage for seniors to walk between destinations, and mixed-use buildings that offer apartments affordable to seniors so they can live right in town.

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With so many wetlands in and around the proposed village center boundary, Waterboro might explore the possibility of creating a boardwalk through wetland areas. This was done in Presque Isle, Maine, with considerable success.

FUTURE VISION: EAST WATERBORO A class has just finished at the YMCA in East Waterboro’s village center and the wide, treelined sidewalks are bustling with people headed to the East Waterboro Coffee Shop next to Gorham Savings Bank. Some will sip at the tables outside the shop, while others take their drinks across the street to the small park (actually a constructed wetland) that captures and filters runoff from Hannaford’s parking lot. Still others will walk home to apartments located above a row of businesses fronting either side of Route 202 or the townhouses next to the coffee shop. Many of the people out and about are elderly, having moved to East Waterboro Village because of the pedestrian-friendly streets that allow them to walk to the YMCA, Goodall Hospital, and grocery store from their homes. East Waterboro Village is also the starting point for the bike trail that connects Waterboro’s four village centers. A popular spot along the bike trail is the East Waterboro Wetland Walk, a boardwalk trail system that invites visitors to spend a few hours exploring the biologically rich wetlands just south of the village center.

ENVISIONING VILLAGES IN WATERBORO THE FOUR POTENTIAL VILLAGE CENTERS

SOUTH WATERBORO

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Figure 41: South Waterboro’s main crossroads have a mix of businesses and residences, but none are close enough to enclose the street and provide a village feel.

Photo Credit: Jeanette O’Connor

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Figure 42: A small portion of habitat for species listed as endangered, threatened, or of special concern extends into the southwest portion of South Waterboro’s proposed village boundary. Wetlands also extend into the proposed boundary. Wetlands in the northeast section form a triangle with wetlands in Waterboro Center and East Waterboro. The stretch of wetlands shared with East Waterboro contains a well supplying water to all of South and part of East Waterboro.

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ENVISIONING VILLAGES IN WATERBORO THE FOUR POTENTIAL VILLAGE CENTERS

NATURAL RESOURCES A small portion of habitat for species listed as endangered, threatened, or of special concern extends into the southwest portion of South Waterboro’s proposed village boundary (see figure 42). A much larger area of this habitat, along with land designated as having rare and exemplary natural communities, is located outside of the suggested boundary but within one mile of the main crossroads to the northeast. Wetlands surround South Waterboro, extending into the proposed boundary. A well supplying water to part of East Waterboro and part of South Waterboro is located in a wetland area between East and South Waterboro. For more information on the importance of these lands, see section 6.

PROPOSED VILLAGE BOUNDARY Figure 43 shows the proposed village boundary for North Waterboro adjusted to reflect the land parcels on Waterboro’s current parcel map.

Because some of the boundary expands beyond the original one-half-mile radius, the village center may not be completely walkable (i.e., some areas will be much farther than one-half mile from the main crossroads). Ecologically important lands still fall within the boundary; Waterboro may want to consider setting these lands aside as protected green spaces within village centers. See page 24 for further details.

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POSSIBLE ACTIONS FOR CREATING A VILLAGE CENTER IN SOUTH WATERBORO The high school and numerous small businesses already located in South Waterboro could act as

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Ecologically important lands still fall within the boundary; Waterboro may want to consider setting these lands aside as protected green spaces within village centers.

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FUTURE VISION: SOUTH WATERBORO The Shops at South Waterboro have become well loved by residents of Waterboro, as well as visitors from surrounding towns. Two- and three-story buildings placed close together at the intersection of West Road and Route 202 announce to visitors that they have arrived in the village. Alleyways with painted murals connect parking lots behind buildings with wide sidewalks in front, as window-shoppers navigate sitting areas that spill out onto the sidewalks from restaurants and coffee shops. There is a mixed-age population in South Waterboro Village, including young adults drawn by wi-fi access, all-night cafés, and office space available for start-up companies. The village center is especially busy at noon, when students from the high school walk or bike to restaurants or the general store and employees from the business complex that’s taken over the old tannery site break for lunch. The village center will be even busier this evening, as people head to the Grange for the Friday night dance or purchase tickets to see the latest movie at South Waterboro Village Theater.

Photo Credit: Massabesic High School’s Picasa Gallery

Figure 44: A regional high school is located less than one-half mile away from the main intersection in South Waterboro.

anchors for a village center. Specific to South Waterboro, the Town may want to further explore the following:

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Sidewalks already line the streets in South Waterboro, but they have fallen into disrepair and are particularly unsafe for anyone using a cane, walker, crutches, or wheelchair. The Town may want to explore sidewalk maintenance programs for existing sidewalks to ensure they are usable by all residents.

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South Waterboro has the infrastructure in place to deliver water to newly built structures, eliminating the need for individual wells to be drilled. This may entice new businesses to settle within the village center instead of more rural parts of town.

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Students already spend time at lunch and after school eating and shopping in South Waterboro. Since this market already exists, the Town may want to encourage development focused on youth in this village center. If these new businesses are urged to move into mixed-use buildings, they could also cater to high school and college graduates wanting to live in South Waterboro by providing the option for apartments above the shops and restaurants they frequent.

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With ecologically important lands extending into the proposed village boundary so close to the high school, there is the potential to create a “living laboratory” for students that could double as a park for the village. This would not only provide students with realworld learning opportunities, it could also offer gathering spaces for community members without the requirement of getting in the car and driving to a park elsewhere.

ENVISIONING VILLAGES IN WATERBORO THE FOUR POTENTIAL VILLAGE CENTERS

8. Action Plan The 20/20 Planning Committee has begun the process of planning for Waterboro’s future. There are many next steps for the town to consider as it works towards a plan for village centers within the four focus areas.

FOCUSING ON VILLAGE CENTERS Examine and revise current zoning regulations to guide future opportunities for village center development based on economic realities, natural resource protection, and other suggestions within this document.

With appropriate zoning, developers can help realize Waterboro’s vision for creating village centers and preserving open space. If developers continue to follow current zoning regulations, village centers will lack the density and accessibility necessary for success, and unplanned development may continue to consume open space outside village centers. By adopting new regulations now, the community will have the tools ready to encourage development that promotes its future vision.

Further exploration into wastewater treatment is needed because this new zoning may increase populations in the village centers. Septic regulations in Maine are controlled at the municipal level, so the Town needs to determine how well current septic systems are operating and what the capacity for additional systems is within the village centers.

In the same vein, since most residents rely on wells for their drinking water, the Town must determine the capacity for drilling more wells or the possibility of extending municipal service beyond South and East Waterboro. These are especially important questions if village centers are to have a higher density than the town has experienced up to this point.

Consider ways to encourage village center development that has as little impact on the town’s natural resources as possible.

With so many ecologically important lands in and around proposed village centers, Waterboro may

Photo Credit: Jeanette O’Connor

Figure 45: By adopting the zoning regulations discussed in section four, Waterboro will be in a position to encourage development that helps create vibrant village centers like this one in Pinehurst, North Carolina.

want to encourage methods of Low Impact Development and Light Imprint Development be applied to both new and existing structures.

Options like permeable paving, rain gardens, bioswales, green roofs, and riparian buffers (see figure 46) could be installed to capture and filter stormwater in place.

Identify places that residents consider to be landmarks or otherwise important, both within future village centers and outside of them, and create physical connections between these places.

Members of the 20/20 Master Planning Committee are currently mapping places in Waterboro (both within proposed village center boundaries and in nearby areas) that are significant to them as individuals, such as the

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the kinds of physical connections (such as roads, sidewalks, and trails) that already exist between important places, and the missing connections that are making it difficult for the public to access such places.

Explore methods for improving wayfinding within village centers.

Photo Credit: Jeanette O’Connor

© 2012 The Kestrel Design Group Inc., 7109 Ohms Lane Edina, MN 55439, 952-928-9600

Figure 46: Among its other natural resources, Waterboro has Little Ossipee Pond, which extends into the heart of Waterboro Center’s proposed village boundaries. The section of shoreline across from Ossipee Campground (top) is completely degraded, with nothing to prevent runoff from the road (including salt and sand laid down in the winter) or developed areas nearby from entering the lake. An option here would be for the Town to plant a riparian buffer of salt-tolerant plants capable of surviving in fluctuating water tables (below, Trillium Bay on Lake Minnetonka, Minnesota). This could be a good opportunity for a volunteer group, such as the town’s Garden Club, to adopt a section of shoreline to restore. Along with planting the buffer, the Town would have to start enforcing the rule barring boats from being docked in the area.

public beach at Little Ossipee Pond, the newly renovated Grange Hall, and the library. Efforts will be made in the future to involve a larger group of community members (including children) in this endeavor. Once collected, the data will be mapped to show how these places relate to one another. The map could then be used to identify

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ENVISIONING VILLAGES IN WATERBORO ACTION PLAN

Although wayfinding is often associated with trail systems, it is also an important concept in built landscapes. There are many ways to ensure that community members and visitors can find their way around Waterboro. Signs that welcome visitors to village centers would signal to people that they have arrived. Information kiosks in each village center could explain unique features of the village and identify places of interest. Kiosks could also include descriptions of the other village centers in an effort to entice travellers to expand their visit beyond one area.

Many cities and towns have signs outside of historic places to explain their importance. Such a sign exists in Waterboro Center, detailing the fires of 1947. More signs are possible at other historic places like the Taylor House, Grange Hall, and Dennis Johnson Lumber Mill.

Another possibility is signs that direct people from village centers to the Pine Barrens, Little Ossipee Pond, and other natural resource areas the Town wishes to promote to community members and visitors. If a bike trail is eventually created linking all four village centers, signs could denote where to exit the trail into village centers or where to enter from village centers. If a boardwalk is built to create the “Wetland Walk” imagined in East Waterboro’s Future Vision (see page 38), signs could point out key features and explain ecological processes to visitors.

TOWN-WIDE CONSIDERATIONS Encourage community participation in developing village centers.

Opportunities exist to make residents and business owners aware of the process by which a plan for village centers within Waterboro is being

created. Keeping the community informed of ongoing research and the ideas driving the plan allows people to ask questions, add their perspective, and provide feedback throughout the process. The earlier residents and business owners become involved in the process, the more likely they are to embrace the plan, feeling that they have had a direct role in its evolution.

The process of planning these village centers may be new to community members. Educating residents and business owners about key concepts such as the positive effects of higher densities within village centers, the importance of walkable streets, the need to capture and filter stormwater, and the ways in which open space restrictions can help protect a town’s ruralness may be necessary for people to understand why certain decisions are being made.

By creating drawings and other visual representations of the concepts discussed in chapter 4, community members will be better able to understand and discuss the options available for developing sustainable village centers.

Beyond the town website and town meetings, social media like Facebook and Twitter, a local newspaper, a town newsletter, or a local radio station all present possibilities for sharing information with the public. One town in Arizona, in an effort to reach a broader range of citizens, ran a public service message in theaters before

Photo Credit: Jeanette O’Connor

the start of movies (Eastman 2012). There may be educational opportunities within the schools too; many schools across the nation are weaving topics about watershed protection, stormwater management, the impacts of unplanned development, and the role of civic duty in society into their curriculum. The Town is more likely to connect with a broad spectrum of residents and business owners by reaching out in multiple ways.

Reactivate a Conservation Commission, to work in collaboration with the already existing Waterboro Land Trust, to ensure that Waterboro’s valuable natural resources (both within future village centers and outside of them) are being managed in ways that conserve their integrity and functionality.

Conservation Commissions “educate community members about local environmental issues; advise elected officials regarding environmental policies and practices; and organize and implement initiatives that address community environmental concerns” (MEACC). Waterboro is rich in land designated as ecologically important; all four proposed village centers have such lands within their boundaries and will likely impact them in some way. Establishing a Conservation Commission within Waterboro will help ensure that the town’s valuable natural resources are being managed in ways that conserve their integrity. The Commission will also be able to help

Photo Credit: Flickr User AjaxSmack

Photo Credit: Jeanette O’Connor

Figure 47: Signs in general are lacking in the four focus areas. The photos here demonstrate three examples of signs marking important places or directing people to places of interest in village centers. The town may want to consider wayfinding signs both within and outside its village centers.

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explain the sometimes complicated legal restrictions imposed on development because of the town’s ecologically sensitive lands. The opportunities of forming a conservation commission could be more fully explored by contacting the Maine Association of Conservation Commissions and by examining case studies of other Maine towns that have recently re-formed their conservation commissions.

Travel and Leisure, in addition to more traditional ways of advertising.

Encourage an expansion of the hospitality industry within village centers so that visitors have a place to stay overnight.

Many opportunities exist for building relationships that will help Waterboro as it pursues its goals of creating village centers, protecting natural resources, and ensuring economic stability.

Partnerships could help secure grants and make a project’s success more likely. Waterboro is already seeing the benefits of such relationships: through a grant from Safe Routes to School, a sidewalk is being designed that would connect the middle school with Friendship Park, along with the houses between the two locations; and a partnership with the Boston Architectural College has produced a preliminary design for the new library without incurring the high fees normally associated with creating architectural plans.

As Waterboro seeks to attract more visitors to the area, it may want to consider having places for travelers to spend the night. Currently, there are no hotels, bed and breakfasts, or other overnight accommodations in town. There were once two well-known hotels within Waterboro’s borders, but neither was rebuilt after burning down in the 1947 fires (Carll 2012). The Town may want to spend time further exploring the methods employed by other similar-sized towns to attract hospitality businesses. In considering ways to reach our to travelers, the Town could consider marketing overnight accommodations and the new village centers through social media, such as Facebook, TripAdvisor, and SmartPhone Apps like

Photo Credit: Jeanette O’Connor

WATERBORO AND BEYOND Town officials could build partnerships with residents, business owners, neighboring towns, and non-profits and work together to apply for grants, create a volunteer base, secure ecologically important lands, and discover innovative ways to solve problems.

Volunteers Focusing first on potential partnerships within Waterboro, there are possibilities for developing a

Photo Credit: HostelManagement.com

Figure 48: Creating places within village centers where people can eat, sleep, and shop could present new economic opportunities for Waterboro and its neighbors. Conventional hotels are not the only option; bed and breakfasts like the Jeremiah-Mason House (above left) on Main Street in Limerick (one of Waterboro’s northern neighbors) and hostels (above right) are possibilities for Waterboro to consider.

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Photo Credit: American Society of Landscape Architects

strong volunteer base to help on projects (such as planting street trees in what will eventually become village centers) and spreading information about the process of creating future village centers. Comments by members of the 20/20 Planning Commission suggest that many elderly residents in Waterboro have an interest in volunteering on projects but don’t know how to get involved. Appointing a contact person (possibly a volunteer themself ) with knowledge of all ongoing town projects would be one way to ensure people willing to volunteer are able to find town projects in need of help.

Schools could also be a source of volunteers.

Nationally, many high school students now have a community service requirement in order to graduate; this may already be a requirement for students attending Massabesic High School. Such a requirement may mean students are actively pursuing ways to get involved in service projects and simply need someone from the Town to let them know what’s available. In addition to other positive outcomes of community service, Massabesic High School is a regional school, drawing students from Alfred, Newfield, Lyman, Limerick, and Shapleigh in addition to Waterboro.

Fostering a relationship with students may result in their parents becoming aware of the steps Waterboro is taking to create village centers, preserve ruralness, and improve economic stability. This may help the Town as it looks to educate its own residents about future plans and as it works to form partnerships with neighboring communities.

Photo Credit: NorthernImages.com

Photo Credit: Greg Raisman

Figure 49: Through various partnerships, Waterboro may be able to provide safer and more inviting ways for people to move around future village centers without a car. Options include methods to slow cars down (road bump-out, top left) ways to move between destinations on foot (trails, top; sidewalks, top left and above; crosswalks, above), and plantings to capture and infiltrate stormwater and beautify the village (bioswale, above).

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Neighboring Towns Waterboro is surrounded by seven towns that may offer opportunities for partnering on economic and environmental projects. For example, Shapleigh, Limington, and Lyman all have land the state has designated as ecologically important that either crosses into or is adjacent to Waterboro (see figures 18 and 19). If these towns can create a jointly agreed upon management plan for places like the Shapleigh/Waterboro Pine Barrens, these ecosystems will have a better chance of remaining intact and functional. Aside from the many other benefits of such lands (see section 6), they act as a potential draw for tourists interested in hiking, fishing, boating, hunting, birding, camping, and so on. These ecotourism activities generally bring money into the community.

Non-profit Organizations and State and Federal Departments Another way to expand partnerships is by reaching out to non-profits and state departments that could offer both advice and money for projects.

The Nature Conservancy and state departments like the Division of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife are already involved in Waterboro’s Pine Barrens and may be interested in helping with other conservation-based issues within the town.

Programs like Beginning with Habitat and Land for Maine’s Future help towns make decisions about how to grow responsibly in an effort to conserve habitat. Working with such a program could help Waterboro plan for future growth that ensures ecological integrity while inviting development that will bring new businesses and residents into the community. These programs can help communities better understand the benefits and constraints of open space restrictions, agricultural preservation restrictions, and conservation easements—options that could help preserve the rural character important to so many people within Waterboro.

The Maine Department of Transportation offers another potential partnership for the Town. While Waterboro has well-maintained roads, they offer little in the way of safety for pedestrians or

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cyclists. As Waterboro plans for future village centers, it might consider implementing narrower streets, bump-outs, or roundabouts (options to slow cars within village limits); building sidewalks, trails, and bicycle lanes (ways to move safely between destinations without a car); and planting street trees and rain gardens (methods to, among other things, make streets more attractive). Instead of having to pay for these improvements on its own, the Town could partner with the Maine Department of Transportation to make these ideas a reality. For example, State Route 5, which passes through North Waterboro, Waterboro Center, and East Waterboro, will need significant improvements within the next ten years. It may be possible to install certain features during the time Maine Department of Transportation is already working on the roadway.

LOOKING TOWARDS THE FUTURE Waterboro is poised to enter a new chapter in its history, one of increased community interaction and a greater sense of place. Village centers offers one path to promoting economic growth and viability while simultaneously protecting the integrity of the town’s natural resources. As new partnerships are built and community members share new ideas and perspectives, the town will be able to make its visions for a stable and vibrant future a reality.

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Costanza, Robert, Ralph d’Arge, Rudolf de Groot, Stephen Farberk, Monica Grasso, Bruce Hannon, Karin Limburg, Shahid Naeem, Robert V. O’Neill, Jose Paruelo, Robert G. Raskin, Paul Suttonkk, and Marjan van den Belt. “The Value of the World’s Ecosystem Services and Natural Capital.” Nature 387 (1997): 259.

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Eastman, Roger, Daniel Parolek, and Lisa Wise. “Going Hybrid.”

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Frumkin, H., L. Frank, and R. Jackson. Urban Sprawl and Public Health: Designing, Planning, and Building for Healthy Communities. Washington, DC: Island Press, 2004.

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Haughey, Richard M. Higher-Density Development: Myth and Fact. Washington, D.C.: ULI–the Urban Land Institute, 2005.

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Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIFW). “Endangered Species Act – Part 13.” 2010. <http://www.maine.gov/ifw/wildlife/species/endangered_species/es_act_part13.htm>.

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University of Virginia. Historical Census Browser. < http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu/>.

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Yaro, Robert, Randall G. Arendt, Harry L. Dodson and Elizabeth A. Brabec. Dealing With Change in the Connecticut River Valley. Amherst, Massachusetts: University of Massachusetts, 1993.

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South

The residents of Waterboro, Maine, hope to

love about the place they live while also inviting growth and development to their town. They are considering ways to promote village centers in the

East

preserve the small town feel and ruralness they

This document focuses on the ability of four areas (North Waterboro, Waterboro Center, East Waterboro, and South Waterboro) to evolve over time into strong village centers where Waterboro residents can live, shop, and walk about — village centers that provide residents with a strong sense of place.

North Center

town as one step towards accomplishing this goal.

Envisioning Villages The Conway School is the only institution of its kind in North America. Its focus is sustainable landscape planning and design. Each year, through its accredited, ten-month graduate program just eighteen to nineteen students from diverse backgrounds are immersed in a range of applied landscape studies, ranging in scale from residences to regions. Graduates go on to play significant professional roles in various aspects of landscape planning and design.

IN WATERBORO, MAINE THE CONWAY SCHOOL • APRIL 2012 JEANETTE O’CONNOR & CARLOS WRIGHT