Open Space Plan

Track 30x30 Progress

"30x30" refers to the Town’s effort to conserve at least 30% of Scarborough’s land by 2030. The Town Council passed a resolution in June 2023 that set a goal to achieve 30x30. The Open Space Plan inventoried existing conserved lands to set a 30x30 baseline and help the Town better understand additional conservation that needs to happen to achieve this goal.

Visit the online dashboard that tracks the Town's progress toward this goal. Town staff also collaborated to design and construct an art display that represents conserved land in Scarborough. When the display is completely filled with sand, the 30x30 goal will be reached.

 

30x30 Dashboard

Open Space Plan Now Available

After months of committee and consultant work, feedback from the public, and comments from the Town Council, the Open Space Plan is complete. 

Starting in the spring of 2024, Town staff and the Ad Hoc Open Space Committee worked with the team from Viewshed Consulting to develop the Open Space Plan. Viewshed began by compiling and analyzing data on land use, recreation, natural resources, habitat, and more. Public feedback was collected through a community workshop, online survey, and several events throughout the summer. All of this work has been synthesized into the draft Plan, which includes recommendations and strategies the Town can implement to increase the amount of protected open space in Scarborough.
 

View the Open Space Plan

Background

Given the rapid growth the Town has experienced over the past 20 years, Scarborough hopes to preserve its unique seashores, salt marshes, wetlands, forests, uplands, tidal rivers, and streams. These landscapes provide critical habitat for birds, shellfish, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians. 

The Town hired Viewshed, a Maine-based landscape architecture, GIS, and planning firm, to assist with the development of a Conservation Open Space Plan. Through the development and implementation of this plan, the Town aims to maintain its character and ensure the future of Scarborough’s landscapes and natural resources. The Plan ultimately provides the Town with a set of conservation priorities to achieve the Town’s 30x30 goal by identifying priority areas and their potential for conservation. 

Plan Development 

Identifying Focus Areas

Viewshed worked with the Open Space Ad-Hoc Committee to identify priority areas for future conservation and recreation opportunities. These areas were undeveloped; adjacent to other conserved lands; or provide important ecological, recreational, or historical benefits. 

Incentivizing and Supporting Future Open Space Protection

The Open Space Plan provides a framework to incentivize and fund future conservation efforts. The Town’s ordinances will be reviewed to identify opportunities to improve development patterns to help ensure open space is protected. The review will also include exploring opportunities to establish an open space impact fee for new development. Revenue from the fee would support future open space protection efforts. 

Community Engagement 

Viewshed developed an interactive project page for Scarborough’s Conservation Open Space Plan that allowed the public to provide input into the Open Space plan directly from the website. 

Viewshed and the Open Space Ad-Hoc Committee hosted an open house in the summer of 2024 to introduce the project to the community and get feedback on what’s important to you. 

Members of the Open Space Ad-Hoc Committee attended community events throughout the summer to speak with residents and collect feedback. 
 

Open Space Ad-Hoc Committee

The Open Space Plan was advised by the Ad-Hoc Open Space Committee. The committee represented key stakeholders and experts, with members from the Conservation Commission, Parks and Conservation Land Board, Community Services Advisory Committee, Long Range Planning Committee, Shellfish Conservation Commission, Coastal Waters and Harbor Advisory Committee, Scarborough Land Trust, Scarborough Fish and Game Association, and the Town Council.