What is a Comprehensive Plan?
A comprehensive plan is a planning document intended to be a guide for communities when making policy and land use decisions over a 10 year period. The comprehensive planning process is an opportunity for a community to take inventory of past and current trends and data and plan for the future of the community. The process of comprehensive planning is often the start of further consideration of matters related to the well-being of a community such as land use, preservation of natural resources, economic development, housing, municipal department functions, how to serve residents, business owners and visitors, and other important topics. The comprehensive plan can help facilitate those discussions and offer a direction as well as recommendations for further planning and policy work.
Old Orchard Beach’s Comprehensive Plan
OOB’s comp plan includes three primary chapters:
• Inventory. The inventory documents and evaluates existing conditions for each section of the comp plan (e.g., transportation, land use, natural resources, economy, etc.). Most of the inventory data is from state or federal sources.
• Goals, Policies, Strategies (GPS). The GPS creates a plan that outlines the future actions the town should take over the next 10 years.
• Future Land Use Plan (FLUP) and Map. The FLUP and map is an overall guide for future land use policies and ordinances in town. While not a zoning ordinance or zoning map, it is the basis for new zoning ordinances and maps.
Other chapters in the plan include:
• Implementation. The implementation chapter discusses steps to implement the goals, policies, and strategies and future land use plan and map. Also, it includes a discussion on plan updates.
• Public Process. The public process involved collecting data from the public through several public meetings and two town-wide surveys, with the most recent survey completed towards the end of 2024.
• Capital Improvement Plan. This plan includes more costly municipal expenses that are planned for a future date with funding spread out over several years.
Notable Findings
• Short term rentals represent the largest number of transient accommodation rooms.
• From 2000 – 2020, a notable decrease in all age groups under 54 (especially ages 25-44) and notable increase in all age groups over 55 (especially ages 60-74).
• Current zoning does not support economic growth and affordable housing needs.
• Protection of natural resources through beach management, stormwater management, and climate change adaptation.
• Importance of public infrastructure (especially sidewalks and stormwater facilities) and parking.
• Downtown area is critical to OOB’s economic vitality.
• Importance of building appearance, especially 1 and 2 family.
Notable Recommendations
• Amend zoning ordinances to allow higher residential density and more flexible development review, especially in the downtown area.
• Ensure ordinances include strong, enforceable standards associated with building upkeep.
• Find ways to attract and keep a younger population.
• Address short term rentals.
• Address use of the ballpark.
• Prioritize protection of water quality.
• Link comprehensive plan GPS to capital improvement items.
• Perform a comprehensive review of parking, including public space availability, public space needs, fees, ordinance requirements.
• Recognize the importance tourism has and take steps to retain and attract businesses and activities that support tourism.
Reviewing the Plan
When reviewing the plan, note that all chapters include important content; although, the GPS and FLUP and Map are the chapters that include items that affect town functions, land use, etc. the most. These chapters lay the foundation for future zoning ordinances, zoning map, policy prioritization, etc. The action items are in these chapters. This is the future.
The inventory chapter provides a snapshot of where we were and where we are now. This chapter is useful if you like to learn more about OOB’s history, population, economy, public facilities, etc. Data in the inventory is used to create the GPS and FLUP and Map.
The implementation chapter provides guidance on implementing the GPS and FLUP and Map. Another important piece of implementation is found in the GPS. Here you will see each GPS policy assigns responsibility for implementation and attaches a priority (see GPS introduction page for further info on responsibility and priority).
The public process chapter includes public survey results from 2012 and 2024. This chapter offers insight on the public’s thinking. The data from public surveys was used to create the GPS and FLUP and Map.
The capital improvement plan identifies large municipal projects and funding over the next 10 years. This is an important municipal budgeting item that allows municipalities to spread out costs of large projects over time. It is especially important for facility and infrastructure planning.
Note: When reviewing the GPS and FLUP and Map, please keep in mind some language is intentionally broad. The reason is to allow flexibility when implementing and a comprehensive plan is not an ordinance or a charter, it is a guide designed to offer a direction and recommendations for further planning, policy work, ordinance development, etc.
Next Steps
It’s important to note this is Draft 1 which means there is still work to do. The purpose of releasing the first draft is that its complete enough to allow for public review and comment. A majority of the incomplete items are more data collection than substantive matters. Almost all remaining items are in the inventory chapter (you’ll see highlighted items).
Draft 1 public comment is due 1/31/2026. After Draft 1 public comment concludes, the comprehensive plan committee will reconvene and consider all comment received. The committee will prepare Draft 2 which will be sent to the state for review and comment as well as providing the public with one more opportunity to review. It is expected Draft 2 will be completed during late winter 2026.
After we receive state and public comment, the committee will prepare the Final Draft for state determination of consistency and Council adoption.
Where to See the Plan and How to Comment
The Plan is available:
• Town Hall in the clerk’s office and code/planning office, Libby Memorial Library, Ocean Park Association
• Town Website:
Chapter 2 Goals, Policies, Strategies
Chapter 3 Future Land Use Plan & Map
Chapter 4 Implementation and Maintenance
Chapter 6 Capital Improvement Plan
Plan comment (Due 1/31/2026):
• Contact Form Submission: Click Here
• Letter: Mail to: C/O Jeffrey Hinderliter, Town Of Old Orchard Beach, 1 Portland Ave., Old Orchard Beach, ME 04064
• In Office Meeting or Phone Call: email Jeffrey Hinderliter (jhinderliter@oobmaine.com) to schedule time