Among seven broad strategic goals identified by the Scarborough Town Council at the start of the year was one in the area of sustainability, conservation, and climate change: “Develop a plan to conserve more land in Scarborough and better integrate conservation and sustainability principles into our planning processes.”
Among seven broad strategic goals identified by the Scarborough Town Council at the start of the year was one in the area of sustainability, conservation, and climate change: Courtesy photo
The town council aligned its goals with priorities outlined in Scarborough’s 2021 Comprehensive Plan and ongoing work of staff and committees. The priority to increase conserved lands is situated to be actionable with some projects happening this year. The town council has a workshop on the economic benefits of conserved lands with the Conservation Commission scheduled for April 19.
The Conservation Commission is a major driver of the town’s effort to increase conserved lands. Its ongoing goals were developed based on the Comprehensive Plan and include conserving land, building resiliency, and promoting engaged citizen stewardship.
“Scarborough’s rich natural resources, unique amenities, and high quality of life make it a desirable place to live, work, and explore,” said Randi Hogan, Conservation Commission chair. “Over the past decade, significantly more land in Scarborough has been developed than conserved. Given the rate of growth in town, we’d like to see land conservation keep pace with development.”
In addition to Scarborough’s local commitment to conserve land, there is also a related statewide goal and a national directive. Maine has a four-year Climate Action Plan, called Maine Won’t Wait, that was released in December 2020. The plan includes a goal to achieve 30×30, or conserving 30 percent of Maine’s land by 2030. This 30×30 goal was also set nationally through a 2021 executive order by President Biden, and efforts are being made to implement it here in our own community.
The Conservation Commission is also working on other plans to meet its goals. They have requested funding in the town’s fiscal year 2024 Capital Improvement Plan to complete an open space plan and vulnerability assessment. Additionally, it is updating the town’s plant list to emphasize the use of native plants.
The plant list, located in the town’s Site Plan Review Ordinance, is out of date and includes some plants that the state has designated as invasive species. The commission is revising the list to emphasize the use of native plants and remove the invasives. Once finalized, the ordinance will need to be updated with the new information. The commission also plans to create a Scarborough Planting Guide for residents with the updated list.
The Sustainability Committee is another group working to advance environmental efforts and outreach in town. Its focus is planning for infrastructure, recommending building and system upgrades, and proposing ordinance updates to reduce energy use. They recently assisted the planning department with an update to the small-scale energy systems section of the town’s Zoning Ordinance.
This section of the ordinance limits the maximum amount of energy that a system can generate. Small-scale energy systems, such as hydrogen fuel cells and battery storage facilities, help reduce carbon emissions, but limiting their energy output makes development of these facilities cost-prohibitive. The Sustainability Committee and planning department took up this issue at the request of two developers who wish to include hydrogen fuel cells as accessories to their buildings.
In January, the committee successfully led a change to electric vehicle charging infrastructure requirements. They recommended the Zoning Ordinance be updated to increase the public’s access to EV chargers. The town council approved an amendment to the town’s Zoning Ordinance that requires developers to plan for installation of EV charging infrastructure. Depending on the size and type of the development, chargers will also need to be installed. Studies have shown that it’s four to six times less expensive to plan for the installation of EV charging stations during construction, rather than going back to retrofit existing parking areas.
Looking ahead, the Sustainability Committee will continue to explore ways of incentivizing energy efficiency upgrades in new construction. They plan to offer workshops for the public to learn more about electric vehicles and the efficiency opportunities and incentives available through the Inflation Reduction Act. They have also requested that the town council pass a proclamation declaring April 22 as Earth Day. This will be an agenda item in the April 19 town council meeting.
Public outreach is critical to the conservation and sustainability work being done by staff, committees, and the town council. That’s why the Sustainability Committee and Conservation Commission have announced an inaugural Scarborough Sustainability Day, to be held on Oct. 1, 2023. The family-friendly event will bring together local businesses, nonprofits, and environmental enthusiasts for a day of learning and honoring a commitment to sustainability at home, at work, and in policies. Attend workshops about electric vehicles, energy efficiency upgrades and incentives, native plants, and much more.
More details about this exciting event will be shared this summer — stay tuned.
Are you looking to become involved in sustainability work in Scarborough? The Sustainability Committee currently has vacancies. Apply online on the Boards & Committees page of the town website, or pick up an application in the clerk’s office at town hall. Stay current on town news by subscribing to the twice monthly town newsletter at www.scarboroughmaine.org/stay-connected.
Allison Carrier is marketing and communications manager for Scarborough. She can be reached at acarrier@scarboroughmaine.org.
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