Southern Maine Planning and Development Commission

09/29/2026

Join us October 6th for a virtual panel discussion of what makes housing development successful on the local level.

This webinar will bring together a panel of expert design and development professionals to talk about how development decisions get made, and what communities can do to create housing opportunities.

🏡 The People Behind the Plans: What makes local housing development successful?
📆 Tuesday, October 6th, 5:00-6:30pm
💻 Virtual via Zoom
✅ Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_83GPU4_iQESx90yjYco5EA #/registration

09/22/2026

September 22nd is National Scenic Byway Day! 🌄 The beautiful Pequawket Trail Scenic Byway runs north along Route 113 from Standish to Gilead. SMPDC is currently kicking off an update to the byway’s Corridor Management Plan. Pictured here along the byway is Pine Root Farm and Market in Steep Falls.

09/14/2026

Thank you to everyone who participated in last week's training with the Maine Office of Community Affairs, where we covered the recent housing legislation that municipalities will be required to comply with by July 2027. Thank you also to the Town of Hollis for hosting the training in your beautiful town hall meeting room.

We shared our newly updated factsheet covering LD1829 and LD2173, now available on our legislative tracking webpage. Please feel free to print and share: https://smpdc.org/leg

Check out the training recording here: https://www.youtube.com/live/txghROjsc5I?is=-Sv4mNV-RMPraYr3

09/04/2026

“The long-awaited amendment will ensure residents can stay in their homes longer, and help the town prepare for worsening storms and climate change conditions.”

The Town of Kittery has unanimously adopted a new amendment to its floodplain management ordinance, directing new development toward areas with existing infrastructure and low flood risk. This is a key strategy in the town’s Climate Action Plan, developed in partnership with SMPDC.

We are proud to be working with Kittery and municipalities around the region to take action to address climate change impacts.

Check out the article here: https://www.pressherald.com/2026/08/25/kittery-adopts-long-awaited-ordinance-to-protect-vulnerable-shorelines/

09/02/2026

Planners from the Maine Office of Community Affairs are coming to York County to talk about the new housing laws applicable to municipalities, how to get to compliance, how your regional planners can help, and funding assistance available.

Join us on September 8th, 5:00-7:00pm at the Hollis Town Hall. There will be pizza! 🍕

Visit smpdc.org to register.

08/26/2026

Today we are saying a big thank you to Alec Campbell, SMPDC’s 2026 summer intern! ☀️

Alec joined us through the University of Maine Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center internship program. This summer, Alec made invaluable contributions to several projects across the organization, including our Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy for Southern Maine (CEDS), Pequawket Trail Scenic Byway Corridor Management Plan update, transportation data collection and analysis, and more. Thank you Alec for all your hard work. Stay in touch!

07/27/2026

How exciting to hear the success of the Town of Berwick, Maine's new Community Garden, funded by a Community Resilience Partnership grant. We loved being a part of the Open Space Planning process, and are proud to have supported the grant applications for both the Open Space Plan and the beautiful Community Garden it led to through our Resilience Coordinator program.

The garden was built in part with help from Maine’s Community Resilience Partnership, where Krulik serves as program manager. During her visit, she saw that the project had become much more than a collection of garden beds.

07/09/2026

Climate change is a big topic, and often overwhelming. Our new Climate Change Impacts in Southern Maine: A Regional Summary, breaks down exactly how rising temperatures and a changing environment are impacting our local communities.

This update includes the latest climate science from sources like the Maine Climate Council’s Scientific Assessment of Climate Change and its Effects in Maine (2024) and Interim Climate Science Report (2026). The broad summary of southern Maine climate impacts is intended to help local communities develop their climate action priorities and inform the public about the potential effects of climate change in the region.

Through local actions and solutions, we can build stronger communities and protect all Maine community members from climate change impacts.

Visit www.smpdc.org/climateaction to view the report.

07/07/2026

Welcome, Alec! 👋 Alec joins SMPDC as an Economic Development Intern after finishing his Junior year at Saint Michael's College double majoring in Political Science and Economics. As an intern through the Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center, Alec is bringing research and data analysis skills from past opportunities to assist with projects across the office. Outside of work, Alec enjoys spending time with friends and family, playing ultimate frisbee, golf and pickleball and is an avid New York Yankees and Knicks fan.

06/25/2026

SMPDC is in the final stages of publishing a newly updated Maine Land Use Law Book! The Land Use Law Book is a 5x7 reference handbook including Maine State law relevant to land use planning, zoning, and local regulation. It is a great tool for planners, planning boards, and other municipal staff. This edition will be current through the last legislative session of the 132nd Legislature, which adjourned in April.

Preorders are now open! We anticipate starting to ship books in July. Books are $20 for SMPDC members, and $25 for non-members. Visit https://smpdc.org/MLULB to order yours today!