October 9, 2003 Notes

October 29, 8:00 – 9:00 a.m. (working groups check in and integrate efforts/planning), Swan Building downstairs conference room, 43 Cottage, Bar Harbor

November 20, 8:00 - 10:00 a.m., Swan Building downstairs conference room, 43 Cottage, Bar Harbor

Present: Ted Koffman, Marla Major, Sydney Roberts Rockefeller, Zack Steele, Kathy Suminsby Lynn Thompson, Cuff Train.

Tentative date were suggested for the charrette – January 31 (does it matter that this is Saturday before Super Bowl Sunday?) or January 24. Marla will check with the high school to see if the gym is open and available either of those Saturdays.

Suggested times -- 8:30 – 12:30. (Would 12:00 – 4:00 be more attractive to the audience?)

Suggested titles: MDI – Looking to the Future OR Looking to Our Island Communities’ Future OR __________?

AGENDA (Rough Draft)

8:00 – 8:30 Registration

8:30 – 9:30 Overview, Questions

15 minutes per element (history, present, future), and 15 minutes for questions and introduction to work of the break out groups.

9:30 – 9:45 Break/transition to break out groups

9:45 – 11:45 Break out groups – tables by town with individual case studies

11:45 – 12:00 Break/transition to break out groups

12:00 – 12:30 ½ hour summary – representative from each table summarizes that group’s discussion

We’ll try to solicit donation of coffee, cups, pastries for breaks, and financial support for high school custodial fee.

Also, will try to arrange for some day care for participants.

Lynn Thompson presented an update on the history committee’s work, which is summarized in Crystal Pace’s notes, attached. The committee was planning to prepare a script and presentation, but after discussion, it was decided that the larger CD & LU group will need to decide how the history portion will meld with the current and future overview. Ideas building on the report included, using photoshop to present overlays of current photos/slides over historical images, or to present alternatives overlaid on current, etc. Suggest recruiting volunteer professional services, perhaps Ed Elvidge or David Westphal, or an intern (Zack?).

We’ve scheduled a brief meeting (1 hour) on October 29 at 8:00 a.m. to bring all the groups together to begin integrating charrette elements.

Following is a reminder of the four(?) working groups that are researching background material, identifying and inviting resource people, and developing charrette elements are:

1. History of MDI communities – Crystal, Lynn, Susan, Sydney

• Kathy Suminsby has 1967 aerials of Mount Desert, which can be used to demonstrate changes over time.
• Carla has located a video of Bar Harbor history, which can be incorporated.
• Isabel will try to find a video history created by a COA student, which included interviews of residents from "the backside." Titled Shores of the Backside?
• For more complete update on this group’s efforts, see Crystal’s summary, attached.

2. A picture of MDI present -- Isabel, Anne Krieg, Carla Haskell

• LUZO comparison between the four towns

NOTE: Jean Marshall has prepared "Summaries of the land use standards related to affordable housing for each town on Mount Desert Island" for the housing summit. This could be used as a base for the LUZO comparison for the charrette.

• CommunityViz presentation – COA is working with Orton Fndtn. to put together a presentation for this charrette.
• Tax map comparisons, showing development patterns over the past 10 years.

3. Future and preferred alternatives – Isabel and . . . ?

• Build-out scenario – where development is going without any LUZO changes
• A time for participants to respond to the projected future if nothing is changed in development trends. Identify community standards, characteristics they want to preserve/retain.

SUGGESTION: CommunityViz may not be ready to provide the visuals for identifying preferences. If not, perhaps we can resort to Mylar overlays to illustrate different patterns of development, open space, etc.

SUGGESTION: Choose case studies addressing various development patterns, choosing four that will address concerns/interests in all four towns, e.g. infill in Bar Harbor (building over Rite Aid, or Graves); conservation development (Babson Creek land); etc.

• Present alternative tools/approaches to achieve those preference goals.

4. Preparation for charrette -- Identify/invite participants -- Carla Haskell, Anne Krieg, John Kelly, Marla Major

• Resource professionals -- (including, architects, landscape architects, planners . . .)
• Local decision/opinion makers -- Begin with Ron for suggestions. Names mentioned include: SWH -- Eric Henry/Ken Hutchins; Tremont -- Patty Tierney (ask her for others, too); Mount Desert -- Rick Savage (Marla)

Submitted by,

Marla Major