Chairwoman Kathleen Brown has resigned from the Windham Planning Board after years of public service as a town volunteer.
Brown served on the board for the past two years reviewing proposed residential and commercial developments in Windham. Prior to her appointment, Brown, a former CEO of the Lakes Region Development Council, worked as interim economic developer for the town in 2003. Last year, she kept order of the board as its chairwoman until Dec. 31 when she formally resigned.
“She was the best chair I ever sat with,” said board member David Nadeau. “Her ability to structure and move a meeting was exquisite.”
On Monday night, remaining board members expressed “their appreciation for Brown’s exemplary service” with a plaque in her honor.
In response, Brown stated that the Windham Planning Board was among the “most professional and hard-working boards” she ever had the pleasure of working with.
Brown decided to resign, after much reflection, because she felt she wasn’t able to dedicate enough time to the board. Brown began teaching this fall at Freeport High School and is studying for her graduate degree at University of Southern Maine.
“To be a planning board member is a commitment of time,” she said. “There’s a lot of preparation behind the scenes.”
Brown is most proud of the board’s “aggressive” scrutiny of the town’s planning process. This fall, the board examined the process to see what factors might be impeding planning review.
“There was no topic that was off-limits,” she said of the review process. “The board was willing to look at everything that we did and really was thoughtful about how to make the process work.”
Brown is optimistic that the board will continue to look at the process and follow through with its recommendations to expedite planning review.
The “inadequacy” of Windham’s land-use ordinances was frustrating, Brown said, especially since the board must uphold and interpret those ordinances when reviewing a potential development.
Windham needs more “planning resources,” she said, in order to manage its growth.
Brown is impressed by the dedication of all town volunteers and “the commitment to make Windham a better place” – from town boards and committees to the parents who run local sports programs like Windham Youth Basketball and Soccer.
Brown said she most enjoyed the relationship among board members as they worked together through those many planning meetings, site walks and final reviews.
“I truly enjoy the different perspectives and the personalities,” Brown said of the board. “I’m going to miss that.”
In Brown’s absence, James Lauzier has been appointed the new chair of Planning Board and Keith Williams will remain vice chairman.
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