Let's hear it - applause, applause

Wiscasset got some splendid news this week.

For the first time in more years than most of us can remember, the state has approved the town's comprehensive plan.

Town planner Jeff Hinderliter got a phone call from John Weber at the State Planning Office Tuesday afternoon, saying that the plan is "consistent with state guidelines," which is state lingo for "it's approved." A letter confirming it is in the mail, he said.

A comprehensive plan has its beginnings in surveying what people in the town want it to look like in another five, ten, twenty, or fifty years. Many people will remember the "Four Ws," held in the high school gym on a Saturday morning a few years ago - it was "What do you Want When for Wiscasset." Many other public meetings followed, and a group of hard working citizens spent nearly three years working on the plan. They came up with goals, policies and strategies. They addressed many different issues, including the history and cultural heritage of the town, population trends, housing needs, natural resources, public facilities, municipal facilities, transportation needs, land use, and regional cooperation. All those who spent many, many evenings in the meeting room over the fire station deserve our appreciation for their hard work, imagination and persistence. Kudos go to town planner Jeff Hinderliter and consultant Richard Rothe who were able to pull the whole process together and submit a plan we all can be proud of.