Douglas Master Plan Committee Revises Economic Development, Land Use Draft Chapters

DOUGLAS -- April 23, 2026, Douglas Master Plan Committee directs rewrite of economic development chapter after consultant critique. At the April 23 meeting, Economic Development Director Matthew Shiner told the committee by video that the draft chapter fails to serve as a credible marketing document for large-scale commercial investors, who he said routinely download master plans, zoning codes, and meeting minutes before deciding whether to pursue a site. Shiner noted that infrastructure investment in East Douglas, funded through roughly $7.3 million in federal and state grants, has already generated an estimated 10 percent increase to the town's tax base, with the Gilboa Street corridor potentially unlocking another half billion dollars in private investment. The committee voted to have Shiner, economic development manager Bob Bois, and the committee chair revise the chapter and return a tracked-changes draft for full committee review. On the land use chapter, reviewed with CMRPC consultant Gabe, members directed that recommendation language on waterfront zoning and minimum lot size reductions be removed, while agreeing to add clearer narrative explaining why state forest land remains zoned industrial, a payment-in-lieu-of-taxes arrangement the town administrator has indicated he does not want changed.