06/11/02

Greenbelt Plan named 'Plan of the Year' by Maine Association of Planners

At their annual meeting June 7 in Boothbay Harbor, the Maine Association of Planners presented their highest award, Plan of the Year, to the Town of Cape Elizabeth for the 2001 Greenbelt Plan.

The award highlights the hard work and volunteer efforts of the Cape Elizabeth Conservation Commission, as previous award winners typically were plans prepared by outside consultants. The Conservation Commission created the plan last year as part of its routine responsibilities with support from town staff. The plan includes graphics created on the Town Geographic Information System (GIS). Quality graphics have been a key feature in previous plan winners.

The Town has been presented with a silver bowl engraved with the names of previous award winners. Most of them are communities larger than Cape Elizabeth, noted Town Manager Michael McGovern, which is a further compliment to the work of the Conservation Commission.

The bowl will be on display in the Assessing/Codes/Planning office until next June, when it is passed on to the next award winner.

It is interesting to note that the Plan of the Year Award was first presented in 1975 to Robert Monks for the Maine Energy Plan. One could observe that it took the Conservation Commission to "bring the bowl" back to Cape Elizabeth.

Copies of the Greenbelt Plan are available for review and for sale in the Town ACP Office.