In an effort to slow the growth rate in Raymond’s rural area, the Comprehensive Plan Implementation Committee has proposed changes to the land use ordinance.

Under the new plan, building permits in rural areas of town would be gradually reduced over a six-year period until they make up only 30 percent of the total permits issued annually by the town.

Only a few people turned out for the recent Raymond Planning Board public hearing in which these changes were discussed – changes that the committee hopes will funnel most of Raymond’s growth to the designated growth area, or village district, of the town.

In addition to reducing the total number of rural district building permits, the plan also limits each individual or entity to five of these permits per year. There are no limits on village district permits.

“It addresses most of the concerns with the growth as well as the concerns of the owners,” Committee Chair Christine McClellan said of the plan.

Several of those in attendance were concerned that the changes would have negative consequences for property owners and property values. Steve Harvey asked committee members if they were prepared for what he termed “the panic factor” that might ensue if many property owners chose to pull permits before the ordinance went into effect.

But committee members says they don’t expect that to be a problem. Built-in reviews scheduled for at least every three years could continue to monitor the program’s effectiveness and make adjustments where necessary, members of the committee said.

Greg Foster spoke against the plan at length, saying it violates the rights of property owners.

“I think we need to treat the people who own the land nicely,” he said.

But Selectman Mark Gendron, who also attended the meeting, defended the actions of the committee and the goals of the town.

“I don’t see us putting in laws to hurt people,” Gendron said. “As we move forward, it’s always going to be a work in progress – we’ll tweak it as we go.”

In a phone interview, McClellan said she thinks some people perceive this as a building moratorium.

“This is not a moratorium,” she said, “but a growth management ordinance. The people who feel most threatened are the developers. But it has never happened that six permits are issued to one person in one year – most builders can’t produce that many houses in a year.”

She said when the citizens of Raymond were asked to name the most important goals for the town, the number one answer was to keep the rural character of Raymond. After lengthy discussion, the committee defined “rural character” as being less dense.

At last year’s Annual Town Meeting, several of the warrants proposed by the committee to control rural area development were voted down because they involved increasing the amount of land required for a buildable lot. But McClellan is pleased with the new proposal.

“I feel this is a great compromise,” she said. “Written into it are bonuses for current homeowners – they can break off a lot without jeopardizing their total property.”

She hopes more people will attend the second public hearing to express their opinions and to ask questions. The meeting, held at the Jordan Small Middle School, is scheduled for Monday, March 20 at 7 p.m.

Raymond resident Greg Foster speaks out against the proposed land use ordinance amendments at a recent Planning Board public hearing. The amendments are designed to limit growth in the rural area of Raymond.

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