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coas@ai Zone r.-lounation COMPREHENSIVE PLAN Cape flizabeth 1980 COASTAL ZONE INFORMATION CENTER yIV4 67 HT 393 m3 41 C6 A 1980 4A, VOL % "Thus, effective land use policy should not be looked upon as a matter of stopping decisions or of restricting freedom of choice but rather of assuring that choices are made wisely, that a full range of alternatives is considered, and that decisions which im- pact broadly on society are made in a process which gives reason- able opportunity for the interests of society as a whole to be taken into account."- Russell Train, Chairman of the Council on Environmental Quality or"IYN OF CIA3P, N. ENITZARErij TOWN HALL 320 OCEAN HOUSE ROAD CAPE ELIZABETH, MAINE 04107 Property of CSC Library 25 June 1980 C nr COMMERCE NOAA The Cape Elizabeth Town Council TJ At SFF@11CF'z CENTER Cape Elizabeth Town Hall 2234 S007H HOR,@ON AVENUE Cape Elizabeth, Maine 04107 'CHARLESTON , SC 29405-2413 Dear Members of the Town Council: The Comprehensive Planning Commission has prepared this draft of the Cape Elizabeth Comprehensive Plan and presents it to you and to the Town for review and adoption. We thank you and all the committees, boards, groups and individuals who have participated for your interest and efforts, which we believe are fairly reflected in this Plan. We also acknowledge gratefully the importance and skill of the work done by the Council of Governments to assemble and analyze information, lead us to understanding, and set down our conclusions. We have been fortunate to receive financial assistance through the State Planning Office, which assistance includes funds from the Office of Coastal Zone Management. We look forward to seeing this Plan take its place in the continuing effort we are all making to face our future constructively, confident that we can preserve and improve our Town as a place in which to live and work with benefit and pride. Sincerely, rva, Z @ George B. Terrien, Chairman Cape Elizabeth Comprehensive Planning Commission A LAND USE POLICY FOR CAPE ELIZABETH Prepared by The Comprehensive Plan Committee George B. Terrien, Chairman Diane Shevenell, Cape Elizabeth Garden Club Ralph Rautenberg, Board of Voter Registration Robert Lindquist, Sewer Study Commission John P. Erler, Board of Sewer Appeals Judith Simonds, CATV Regulatory Board Nason Smith, Ft. Williams Adv. Commission Louise Tetreau, Area Development Council Gordon B. Davis, Transit District Rep. Mary McGushin, Planning Board Tom Summers, Planning Board Allen Dussault, Zoning Board of Appeals Walter Simpson, Civil Service Commission Joseph Stocks, Board of Health Paul Creteau, Board of Asses. Review Kenneth Woods, Trustees, Thomas Mem. Library Lyman Cousens, Trustees, Riverside Mem. Park Peter Rand, Conservation Commission Josephine Cobb, Bd. of Historic Pres. Adv. Pauline Pero, Bd. of Historical Pres. Adv. John Amerling, Town Council Marco DeSalle, Town Council Stella Patten, Town Council Stephen Larned, Park & Recreation Commission David Fisher, School Board Joanne Ryder, Secretary and The Greater Portland Council of Governments Joseph Ziepniewski, A.I.C.P., Planning Director Frank O'Hara, Housing Planner Neil Wallace, Graphics E. J. Silke, Editor Maddy Fournier, Secretary "Financial assistance for the preparation of this document has been provided by the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, administered by the Office of Coastal Zone Management, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Coastal Planning Program of the Maine State Planning Office." PREFACE The Comprehensive Plan Committee was charged by the town with the preparation of a comprehensive plan, policies and necessary land use regulations. It is intended that the land use policies in this report, combined with specific studies in areas such as population, environment, housing, sewage, traffic, and water.supply, will constitute the comprehensive plan. The purpose of the land use policies is to establish an overall policy framework which can be used to guide town decisions on individual programs, expenditures, and/or regulations. The importance of establishing this framework has increased in recent years as a result of the increasing complexity of local government decisions, combined with limited tax resources. Cape Elizabeth is currently faced with many important decisions. The town is completing plans for a Southern Cape Sewer System. The preservation of rural open areas is an increasingly important issue. Accommodating future growth in a fiscally and aesthetically responsible manner is a concern. Maintaining a quality education in the face of declining enrollments will be a difficult task. How the town deals with these issues will have a profound impact on the future tax burden and quality of life of Cape Elizabeth residents. The temptation facing the town is to deal with each individual issue as it arises. This policy of "reaction" has many advantages. It allows the decision makers considerable latitude and enables decisions on difficult issues to be postponed until absolutely necessary. However, in this process, interrelation- ships between decisions are often neglected. As an example, the construction of a sewer system to abate pollution may increase development pressure, storm-water runoff and traffic congestion, and negatively impact "the quality of life". The Comprehensive Plan Committee has prepared the Comprehensive Plan to serve as the overall policy framework for the Town. This framework can be used to evaluate the necessity and impact of individual programs, laws, and budgets. The Comprehensive Plan attempts to relate the major elements of land use to provide a coordinated view of what Cape Elizabeth's future could be. A LAND USE POLICY FOR CAPE ELIZABETH Page Preface i. I. LAND USE GOALS I II. LAND USE: BACKGROUND STUDIES 3 Conservation 3 1. Environmental Factors 3 2. Watersheds 3 Development 4 1. Population 4 2. School Enrollments 4 3. Housing 4 Community Facilities 5 1. Southern Cape Sewer System 5 III. LAND USE POLICIES AND ISSUES 6 A. Equity in Land 6 B. Community Facilities 8 C. Social Diversity 10 D. Environmental Quality 11 E. Industrial Development 13 IV. LAND USE PLAN 15 A. Medium Density Residential Area 15 B. Public Land and Quasi-Public Land 15 C. Resource Protection 15 D. Medium Density Residential (Southern Cape Area) 16 E. Rural Lands Area 16 F. Areas of Local Significance 18 G. Local Business Districts 18 MAP - Rural Lands Area 17 APPENDIX A. Population A. Overall Growth A-1 B. Age Characteristics A-3 C. School Children A-5 D. School Enrollment to 1990 - Three Models A-10 E. Social and Economic Characteristics A-13 Technical Appendix on School Projections A-17 Description of Models A-18 Assumptions of School Enrollment Projection Model A-19 Assumptions of Housing Projection Model A-20 Worksheets A-21 B. Housing A. Introduction B-1 B. The Housing Stock B-3 C. The Cost of Housing B-5 D. The School Enrollment Issue B-7 E. The Issue of Diversity B-9 Technical Appendix on Housing Costs B-11 C. Cape Elizabeth Watersheds C-1 CAPE ELIZABETH COMPREHENSIVE PLAN MAP INDEX Following Page EXISTING LAND USE 3 SOILS 3 LAND OWNERSHIP 4 WATER SUPPLY 5 AREAS OF LOCAL SIGNIFICANCE 12 WATER RESOURCES 12 NATURAL FEATURES 15 PROPOSED ZONING 18 PROPOSED LAND USE PLAN 18 1. Land Use Goals Cape Elizabeth has come through periods of slow suburbanization (1920-1950); rapid growth, doubling the population in 20 years, (1950-1970); and a tapering off of growth in the 1970's, as most new development occurred in more rural areas. Judging from proposals before the Planning Board at the present time, it appears that Cape Elizabeth's growth rate may pick up again in the future. Two factors especially contribute to this renewed activity: (1) The Cape's sewer plans; and (2) a reduction in the attractiveness of rural towns for development because of high transportation costs, increases in regulations and land costs, cutbacks in the Farmer's Home program. Future development will probably not be the same as the 1950's single-family home subdivision develop- ment. Both the high cost of construction and new life-style patterns, make it likely that cluster and multi-family housing will play a more significant role in Cape Elizabeth's future growth than was true in the 1950's, 1960's and 1970's. The prospect of entering a new phase of growth throws a new light on other issues which have been studied and discussed in the Cape in recent years. These include the design and financing of a sewer system in southern Cape Elizabeth; the preservation of agricultural lands; the development of a greenbelt system of open space preservation; the preservation of scenic and historic features; the maintenance of water quality in the Great Pond water- shed and Spurwink Estuary; the maintenance of a quality school program in the face of declining enrollments; the achievement of "social diversity" of ages, occupations, incomes, and cultural types; the appropriate disposition of Fort Williams; and finally, the maintenance of a reasonable tax rate and sewer assessment rate. These issues have been studied and discussed independently by many groups in Cape Elizabeth, including the Planning Board, the Conservation Commission, the School Board, Fort Williams Study Committees, the Sewer Commiteee, and the Town Council. The Comprehensive Plan Committee reviewed the work of all these groups, and tried to integrate all of their concerns into one overall plan. This process was not easy. Financial concerns tend to argue for more develop- ment, so that sewer fees will be lower and school enrollment maintained. Environmental concerns tend to argue for less development, the maintenance of open space and strict controls on new residential growth. Social and legal concerns tend to complicate the issues even further. Having said this, however, the Comprehensive Plan Committee found common threads running through all of these issues. These common threads provide the basis from which the Committee worked. They can be phrased in terms of the goals which this Comprehensive Plan seeks to accomplish. They are: GOAL #1 - Preservation of the rural character of Cape Elizabeth. This goal includes taking actions to: preserve agricultural land; develop an open space greenbelt; preserve the water quality of the Great Pond watershed and Spurwink Estuary; and preserve rural and scenic land to help maintain scenic views from public ways. -I- I GOAL #2 - Achievement of balanced development in Cape Elizabeth. This goal includes taking actions to encourage a diversity of housing types and costs, and to encourage commercial and research, office, park-type developments which are non-disruptive to the residential and rural character of the town. It is important to recognize that housing types which are allowed, encourage: a. Strong community involvement; b. Concern for the maintenance and improvement of property values; and C. A stable, long term resident population GOAL #3 - Provision of quality community services in Cape Elizabeth. This goal includes actions to maintain the educational quality of Cape Schools, and to properly plan and efficiently utilize community facilities. GOAL #4 - Achievement of the above conservation, development and service goals in a manner which avoids unfair advantage or disadvantage to individual landowners and taxpayers. This goal includes actions to minimize town costs with respect to the three preceding goals. It also includes development of a land use system which promotes equality among landowners in terms of regulations and public improvements. -2- 11. Land Use: Background Studies Conservation In developing a comprehensive land u 'se policy it is important to consider a number of factors which can influence land use patterns. The Comprehensive Plan Committee has reviewed a number of these issues in detail (some of these detailed reports are enclosed in the appendix). The following is a brief summary of these issues. 1) Environmental Factors - The Conservation Commission has developed detailed studies on environmentally sensitive lands and recommended a greenbelt open space system for Cape Elizabeth. The Conservation Commission also recommended that no development be allowed in the following types of areas: a) Sebago Mucky Peat b) Coastal Dunes c) Tidal Marsh d) Slopes over 15 percent e) Flood hazard and resource protection areas f) Wetland soils under 12 inches to seasonal high water (Limitation restricted to subsurface septic disposal) The Conservation Commission also suggests that any proposed development in the following areas consider both the historic and/or environmental sensitivity of the site, as well as the possibility of preserving features deemed worthy of such by the Commission. CONCLUSION - With the DeveZopment of the sewer system and projected popuZation growth, this may weU be our Zast chance to preserve signif- icant unique areas of the town for future generations. 2) Watersheds - The Great Pond watershed is the most sensitive watershed in Cape Elizabeth. Future developments in this watershed should be designed to limit the rate and volume of runoff to that occurring "naturally" and the amount of impervious surface to 10 to 15 percent of the site. CONCLUSION - The Spurwink Estuary wiZI become cZeaner as Scarborough and Cape EZizabeth construct sewage treatment systems. Stormwater runoff con- tamination wiZZ_, therefore, remain as the most important threat to its water quaZity. -3- Development 1) Population'-- The Cape's past steady growth rate is projected to continue in the future. TABLE 1 1 Cape Elizabeth's Population 1950 - 3,816 1960 - 5,505 1970 - 7,873 1975 - 8,400 1980 - 8,900 1985 - 9,400 1990 - 91900 1995 -10,40& 2000 -10,900 This moderate growth rate is consistent with regional projections which would mean about 75 new housing units per year between now and 1990. This would represent an increased rate over the 70's which averaged about 50 units per year. CONCLUSION - Even a moderate growth rate will bring increased new growth to Cape Elizabeth. The construction of the Southern Cape Sewer could increase the growth rate substantially. 2) School Enrollments - The existing school physical plant was built to accommodate 2200 plus students. Population projections using a moderate growth rate (75 units per year) show a levelling off of students at the 1350 level by the late 1980's. Even a high growth model of 175 housing units per year has the school enrollment dipping to 1850 in the 1981-1983 period. An increased growth rate does not solve the school enrollment problem and the school system must look to internal changes to resolve this issue. CONCLUSION - The challenge of maintaining a quality school system in light of a declining school enrollment will be a continuing problem. 3) Housing - Only one third of the housing which becomes available in Cape Elizabeth each year is affordable to someone with an income under $20,000. In Gorham, over four-fifths of the available housing could be afforded by families with incomes under $20,000. The Planning Board has stated that one of its goals is to have a population with a "heterogeneity of incomes, social and cultural-groups, occupations, ages, etc." This is clearly impossible in the present situation, with the majority of housing consisting of expensive single family homes. 1 The Greater Portland Area Past Trends and Future Projections, GPCOG, 1977. -4- CAPE ELIZABETH 0 0 (1 0 R o 0 0 0 'o **0 0 0 0 0 0 0\@ 00 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 n 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0 0 0 0 n 0 0 0 '0 0, 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 C) 0 0 0 0 0 0 n 0 0 _j 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 G 0 0 00 &0 0 a 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 /y 0 0 0 00 0 0 1ver 0 0 01-*10 0 a 0 0 0 C 0 Great Pond T c@ 0- 00, 0 0 0 (D 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 o 0 u 0 0 0 Little S 0 Pond 0 0 0 cc) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 a 0 0 R m Island 0SINGLE FAMILY eMULTI-FAMILY (E) MOBILE HOME (R) VACANT HOME 0SEASONAL RESIDENCE ,n, COMMERCIAL [) MANUFACTURING 0PUBLIC a UTILITIESTRANSPORTATION & Rich.ond Island CEMETERY COMMUNICATIONS QUASI-PUBLIC CUL;yRAL ENTERTAINMENT CREATION RESOURCE PRODUCTION & EXTRACTION PREPAREC, SY GP@COG JANUARY 1977 CAPE ELIZABETH SOIL SUITABILITY for UNDERGROUND DISPOSAL 7" 0.p :low A@' 0 vk iverr G Izf Pond t 10 Fr- -7- '0 AiL N, Ram is land SoHs r urnNng Code) VV'@@h Severs or Very R tj Ohl dB,ta,'n d r-:c ni@@&@@ons for Sewage MEPARED BY QPCOG 1976 CAPE ELIZABETH Al 0 LAND OWNERSHIP 0@k 0*@ 0 A 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 C) 0 0 0 0 0 /0 0 0 0 0 o 0 ,o 0 0 0 Q 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 _j 0 0 0 .0 0 /Y ...... ............ 0 0 C g ver 0 "o 0 \e set P t( 0, C@ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 M % Little Pond 0 0 0 0 0 0 Ram Island LEGEND 0 SINGLE FAMILY MULTI-FAMILY MOBILE HOME Commitler" a, VACANT HOME I 0 SEASONAL RESIDENCE COMMERCIAL Association mo- 0 MANUFACTURING Fe.&.@ral ai, 0 PUBLIC UTILITIESTRANSPORTATION & Richmond Island COMMUNICATIONS CEMETERY State L.an(I ............. QUASI-PUBLI AFCRA ENTERTAIN L WNUT RELATION fowl 0 RESOURCE PRODUCTION & EXTRACTION PREP ARED BY ORCOG JANUARY 1977 Community Facilities With land and construction costs high in the Cape, it is unlikely that the private market can ever produce housing which is affordable to a moderate income family in the Greater Portland region. CONCLUSION - To achieve even a small measure of social diversity., the town will have to turn to federaZZy-subsidized housing, such as the elderly housing constructed at Colonial VilZage under the Section 8 housing program. Southern Cape Sewer System - A final configuration for the Southern Cape Sewer System which allows for only minor infill growth has been made. While funding for this system is currently frozen, it should be built over the next 3-5 years. CONCLUSION - Any density increases contemplated by sewer extensions beyond existing Medium Density ResidentiaZ districts should be accom- plished through a program of permanent transferable development rights. -5- CAPE ELIZABETH j aft WATER SERVICE AREAS J E, - E-3 IL 0 0 Q ver ,oo \e 14 Great P on d c@, Little Pon d Ram s I a n d LEGEND: 8 -16 inch pipe 6 inch 0 Hydrant Richmond Island 0 Standpipe Source: Pbrtiand Water District o - MEPARED BY GPCOG 1976 Ill. Land Use Policies and Issues A. Equity In Land In the Background Studies section of this report, we reviewed both the natural and man-made resources of Cape Elizabeth and tried to evaluate their impact on future growth and land use. In this section, we will identify those issues and policies which will be critical to the future development of Cape Elizabeth. Hopefully, these policies can be used as a basis for developing, evaluating and updating the town's laws, regulations, programs, and budgets. There seems to be a general consensus in Cape Elizabeth and in the law that certain areas of the community should be excluded from development because of the natural conditions of the land. Where these conditions can be shown to have a substantial relationship to the public's health, safety, and welfare (i.e., flood hazard or ability to support a subsurface disposal system) severe restrictions on potential development can and should be sustained. There are other areas of the community (agricultural lands, scenic areas, areas with little feasibility of being sewered, open spaces) which for a number of public-interest reasons would be best main- tained with little or no growth. These public interest reasons include: 1) Maintaining a balance between developed areas and open space. 2) Encouraging development in those areas served by public utilities in order to maintain cost-effective services for the residents and the town. 3) Planning for future growth to avoid the monotony of sprawl. The goal of maintaining this rural atmosphere has been restated in study after study. In many cases, the desires of the land owners may match the aspirations of the town, but the economic realities of equity require that potential for highest use be retained. In other areas of the com- munity the public investment in sewers and other facilities creates a windfall profit for adjacent landowners. The problem then becomes one of maintainin@ a fair equity fo landowners throughout the community and, at the same time, developing a land use p licy which encourages growth in certain areas, discourages it in certain areas, and prohibits it in others. To resolve this dilemma, the proposed land use regulation system is tied to these conclusions: CONCLUSION I - Certain land by its natural condition should not be developed. Such development should be prohibited by legally-sustainable restrictions. CONCLUSION 2 - Each land owner has a right to develop his land within its natural ability to sustain development. CONCLUSION 3 - Development density of greater than one unit per 2 acres will most likely require public investments for sewers to sustain the development in the long run (15 to 25 years). -6- CONCLUSION 4 Traditional zoning coupled with the existing system of public improvements (sewer, waters, improved road network) creates a system of windfalls for some landowners at the expense of others. CONCLUSION 5 From a town-wide perspective, the most desirable future would include preserving,agricultural lands, maintaining basically rural open space areas, and accommodating future growth in a logical and financially responsible manner, while protecting an individual's investment in his land. The net result of such a land use regulation system would be: 1) To direct growth away from areas of the community designated rural. 2) To maintain and protect the economic value and property rights of landowners throughout the community including those areas designated rural. 3) To encourage higher density growth in those areas which can best accommodate that growth. (e.g., areas with developed sewer and water systems, etc.) 4) To promote a diversified landscape with clustered'development characterized by a cost-effective smaller network of utilities. Recommendations 1) The development of a transfer of development rights program. 2) The development of a new zoning ordinance. -7- B. Community Facilities Capital expenditures for community facilities - such as schools, roads, sewers, and water lines - form a major portion of local government ex- penses. Yet very often a community does not seem to be in control of these expenditures. Instead, it seems to be responding to external pressures and problems, such as new residential growth, or new federal laws. The local sewer system is a case in point - a situation in which an expensive sewer system is needed to help recent residential develop- ment meet federal water quality standards. The dangers of a position of "reaction" are twofold: 1) Capital investments are made in a piecemeal, inefficient manner, causing higher per capita taxes. 2) A scattered, sprawl-like residential development pattern is encouraged, in response to scattered public improvements. For maximum effectiveness, capital investment plans should be tied closely to land use and zoning plans. Public improvements should take place first in those areas of the community designated for future growth. Like- wise, zoning and land use plans should be designed to encourage adequate economies of scale for public improvements through the designation of growth areas where more concentrated development can take place. A second area of concern in Cape Elizabeth, beyond the sewer issue, is the situation resulting from the decline in enrollment in the local schools. This decline, which has totalled almost 400 students over the last eight years, is expected to continue into the early 1980's. Research done for the Comprehensive Plan Committee indicates that enrollment may stabilize at approximately 1350 students - nearly 1000 students less than in 1970. This situation has come about simply because of demographics. The sharp reduction in the birth rate during the last ten years is now resulting in lowered school enrollments. This situation is true both region-wide and nationally. Residential growth in Cape Elizabeth will not be enough in absolute numbers,, nor in housing type (much projected growth is in condominiums or apartments), to offset the projected loss. On first glance, this situation might seem to be positive. Fewer students means less expense, and therefore lower taxes. The situation is not so simple, unfortunately. Much of the Cape's school expenses are fixed - administration operations and building maintenance, etc. These expenses will remain constant at any enrollment level. School revenue, however, will decrease. The substantial portion of the school budget paid for by the State is currently based on a per student reimbursement, and this will decrease in the years ahead. Finally, special services and extra curricular programs will become more expensive, on a per capita basis, to maintain. This sharp reduction in enrollment won't be totally absorbed until the early 1980's. Now is the time to begin planning to deal with this situation. -8- The Comprehensive Plan Committee recommends the following policies regard- ing community facilities. POLICY #1 - Capital investment decisions should be closely tied to land use goals. Facilities designs should be supportive of an overall plan and population level and not depend significantly on a higher level of population to make them work efficiently. POLICY #2 - The effects of social changes, such as the reduced birth rate and increase in the elderly population, should be reviewed for anticipated impacts on Cape Elizabeth community service needs. Recommendations 1) A Capital Improvements Program (C.I.P.) should be prepared annually by the Town Manager, reviewed by the Planning Board, and submitted to the Town Council for formal action. Improvements related to highway safety. such as Zighting, widenings., and obstacle removal should be given high priority. 2) The School Board should initiate research into the financial and educational ramifications of declining school enrollments, and prepare recommendations for a desired curriculwn and educational structure at the projected enrollment levels. The possibility of cooperative arrangements with other school districts should be expZored. Alter- native uses for unused portions of the physical plant should be investigated (e.g., community recreation andlor meeting facizities). 3) The Planning Board should monitor new growth on an annual basis, and propose revisions to the Capital Improvements Program and Comprehensive Plan as needed. 4) Energy costs will continue to rise and the town should continue to explore economically feasible alternatives for public transit. 9- C. Social Diversity The Cape Elizabeth Planning Board approved the following goal in 1977: POLICY #1 - "Aim for a population which has a heterogeneity of incomes, social and cultural groups, occupations, ages, etc." MEANS - "Permit a variety of housing densities and costs through land use regulation." (P. 3, Local Growth Policy Statements, GPCOG, 1977) The Comprehensive Plan Committee reaffirms this as a desirable policy. Such diversity would provide a richer, more pluralistic civic life, and a broader educational experience for Cape Elizabeth children. At the same time, the Comprehensive Plan Committee recognizes severe practical limitations to achieving this goal. The cost of land in Cape Elizabeth is expensive. The cost of construction is expensive. Beyond this, the local market seems to be encouraging a type of hous- ing far more expensive than either local costs or regulations would seem to require. The town can do little to change these facts. There are, however, steps that the town can take to at least provide the opportunity for housing development which could serve broader income and social levels. These steps include: Recommendations 1) The Planning Board should review local regulations and review procedures to make sure that they do not add unnecessary costs to the construction of housing in Cape Elizabeth. 2) The Planning Board should prepare an "incZusionary" ordinance for Council action, which would provide a density bonus to a developer who mixes some subsidized housing in a proposed development. 3) The town should consider taking an active role in pursuing resources for federaZZy-subsidized housing. _10- D. Environmental Quality In the process of developing the Comprehensive Plan, it has become clear that an important concern of residents is the natural amenity which is interwoven with residential areas throughout Cape Elizabeth. Preserving environmental quality while allowing for growth and change will be a great challenge over the next decade. The Comprehensive Plan Committee recommends the following policies to help maintain the environmental quality of Cape Elizabeth. POLICY #1 - Residential, commercial, and industrial development should be discouraged from locating on lands designated as sensitive including wetlands, floodplains, coastal dunes, steep slopes, and agricultural lands. POLICY #2 - The preser'vation of sensitive lands, open space, and areas of local significance should be encouraged by utilizing a broad range of tools, including incentive clustering, fee simple acquisition, volunteer easements, resource protection district zoning, tax policy, and performance zoning. Recommendations 1) It is i@econrnended that a town-wide stormwater ordinance be adopted which recognizes the particular sensitivity of the Great Pond and Spurwink River drainage basins to runoff. (This has been accom- plished) 2) It is recommended that a public informational program on septic tank maintenance be developed, particularly for new construction and existing areas with a high rate of failure. A Local plumbing code should be adopted which adequately protects the town from having to extend sewers to correct malfunctioning septic systems in rural areas. This code should require that an applicant pay a fee to the town and that the town hire the soils investigator. This would prevent the situation of an applicant "shopping" for a suitable soils test. The town should develop a program which would pay a rebate to homeowners who have their septic systems pumped on a regular basis. 3) The Conservation Commission has developed a map showing areas of Local significance which includes important natural scenic, historic, and architectural areas. The map and supporting documentation should be adopted as part of the Comprehensive Plan. The map will become part of a Land use program and should be consulted by the Planning Board when reviewing subdivision and site pZans. 4) The Resource Protection District should be extended to include other sensitive areas recommended by the Conservation Committee. (See Planned Land Use Plan.) 5) The town should encourage the use of easements as a means of preserving open space. Programs such as that of the Maine Coast Heritage Trust, as well as volunteer easements and private Land trust activities should be utilized to the greatest extent possible. MuZti-use easements (i.e., sewer and water used for trail systems) should also be investigated. _11- 6) EnvironmentaZ Performance Standards shouZd be incLuded in the town's land use reguZation system. Performance standards can ensure environ- mentaZ integrity whiZe maintaining the fZexibiZity necessary to ensure innovative design. -12- I E. Industrial Development, The previous plan adopted by Cape Elizabeth held a dim view of attracting industry to Cape Elizabeth. "It is very improbable that any industry will choose to become established in Cape Elizabeth for the following reasons: (a) the lack of available labor; (b) highway connections and location make it generally inaccessible to people, services, and major trans- portation routes; (c) present land-use is generally incompatible with industrial development. Perhaps the best hope for attracting industry lies in the land west of Sawyer Road, where future development of the Scarbor- ough-South Portland industrial areas may expand across the border." The potential for industry in the Sawyer Road area was envisioned by previous Comprehensive Plans to be greatly strengthened by a proposed cross-town arterial. The potential for a cross-town arterial, because of low priority and increasing highway costs, today is about nil. Scarborough has zoned its land abutting Cape Elizabeth as Rural Farm with a minimum lot size of two acres. South Portland's current zoning is Residential AA but the city is considering downzoning to a similar rural zone with a two acre lot size. It is extremely unlikely that the Sawyer Road area will be developed industrially over the next 20 years. The Comprehensive Plan Committee recognizes the importance of trying to balance residential development with other types of non-residential use to strengthen the economic base of Cape Elizabeth. The Committee also recognizes that traditional industrial development with its demand for utilities, highway access, skilled labor force, and high traffic genera- tion is not a realistic expectation for Cape Elizabeth in the near future. As an alternative, the Comprehensive Plan Committee recommends the follow- ing policies: POLICY #1 - Development by the town of a research office park floating zone* as a more realistic approach to economic development. Studies FLOATING ZONE - A floating zone is a device which a community may use when it has decided that particular type of use should be allowed, but has not decided the best location for the use. A district would be included in the text of the zoning ordinance describing the allowed uses, special exceptions, lot sizes and setback requirements. However, the legislative procedure in creating the floating use does not include delineating its boundaries on the official zoning map. The location of the zone is left for later determination by the municipal legislative body. The action may be initiated by the legislative body in the exer- cise of its responsibility for benefiting the public in general or by a petitioning landowner. -13- CAPE ELIZABETH AREAS of LOCAL SIGNIFICANCE 10 @kiver WL z Great Pond Little Pond R rn Island Richmond Island 2 Crescent Beach LEGEND 3 Two Lights State Park Scenic Areas 4 Two I...ights 5 Great Pond High Priority Scenic Areas 6 Charles E.Jordao Hoad ov Scenic Views 7 Spurwink Church Scenic Roads 8 Town Farm & Transfer Station 9 Wells Road Roads not to be Further io "Prout Property" Widened or Straightened ii Sawyer Road Quarry 12 Pond Cove Brook Architecturally Significant Zones T. 13 Pond Cove 14 Fort Williams WEPARED BY GPCOG 1976 CAPE ELIZABETH WATER (SC RESOURCES .00' SB2 4S1 ver Great Pond SB2 Little Pond S Fa A Sol, R m SB2 Island LEGEND .o-@ Surface Water Boundary Watershed Boundary Direction of Flow 3 Wetlands Richmond Island State Water Classification SBI Treated Waste Discharges MEPARED BY GPCOG 1976 POLICY #1 - regarding research office parks conducted by the Urban Land cont'd. Institute indicate that quality of surroundings and being near a high income residential area is the second most important location criteria after accessibility. POLICY #2 - Working with groups such as the Maine Development Foundation and the Area Development Council to promote the development of a business, office, research, or corporate headquarters park in Cape Elizabeth. Recommendations 1) Rezone Industrial Zand off Sawyer Road to RuraZ Zands. 2) DeveZop Business-IndustriaZ FZoating Zone. (See Appendix.) Ensure that aZZ necessary site and performance standards are met under any proposed re-zoning in order to protect abutting properties. 1 A IV. Land Use Plan The land use plan provides, in one map, a generalized summary of the concepts and policies discussed in the previous sections of the plan. This plan shows the type of land use which is appropriate for each part of Cape Elizabeth, and indicates the intensity of use which would be most compatible with the town's utility plans and the land's physical capacity to support development. The land use plan is intended to provide overall guidance in the establishment of land use regulations. The land use plan divides the Cape into the following categories: A. MEDIUM DENSITY RESIDENTIAL (M.D.R.) The use of land in this area would be primarily residential and allowing related uses such as community facilities, and recreation areas. The M.D.R. District would be within the service area of the northern Cape Sewer System. This area is served with public sewer and water, and therefore residential development could occur at a density of 2 dwellings per acre with a minimum lot size of 20,000 square feet. Although the area is significantly developed already, there are still possibilities for large subdivisions. Public policy in this area should concentrate on the following points: 1) Protection and maintenance of Trout Brook as a natural resource and passive recreation area. 2) Acquisition and development of neighborhood parks, and playfields (specific recommendations should be forthcoming in the recreation section of the Comprehensive Plan). 3) Recognition in the Capital Improvement Program that this area is a significantly-developed residential area. Public policy should concentrate on stabilizing and improving the residential amenities through: a. Regular maintenance and improvement of streets, sidewalks, drainage, utilities, and recreation areas. b. Prevention of intrusions from non-residential uses. C. Insuring that future development is compatible in terms of access, landscaping and buffering, and site layout. d. Encouragement of clustering to maintain open space and add diversity to the area. B. PUBLIC LAND AND QUASI-PUBLIC LAND Federal, State and municipal lands are shown as public and are expected to remain as such throughout the planning period. The Purpoodock Club is shown as quasi-public. Any change from the existing use should be carefully evaluated by the Planning Board. Other association land is also shown as quasi-public. C. RESOURCE PROTECTION Resource Protection areas of Cape Elizabeth have significant environmental limitations which should limit their development potential to non-intensive uses. The town already has a Resource Protection District in its zoning _15- ordinance. Studies conducted during the development of this compre- hensive plan indicate that other areas should be included in this category. These areas are shown as proposed Resource Protection Dis- trict areas. In addition, it is recommended that the town consider buffering and clustering as methods to help maintain a subtle transition from developed areas to Resource Protection areas. D. MEDIUM DENSITY RESIDENTIAL (Southern Cape Area) This area would include the land within the proposed Southern Cape sewer service area. Traditionally in a coastal community like Cape Elizabeth, characterized by poor soils and shallow to bedrock conditions, the development of sewer systems could be the impetus for uncontrolled growth. After much debate and study, the town has chosen a sewer system config- uration which will correct existing problems and allow for only minimum infill growth. As part of its deliberation on the sewer issue, the Comprehensive Plan Committee compared housing needsl with the amount of vacant land within the service area of the Northern Cape System, as well as the rural area and concluded that there was sufficient land available to meet a regional housing need. In attempting to assure that some of this future housing will be available to low and moderate income people, it is recommended that an inclusionary housing provision be added to the zoning ordinance. A major concern of the Comprehensive Plan Committee and the town throughout the sewer debate has been the question of controlling the impact of sewer extensions on rural land. In attempting to develop a land use policy which can balance the goal of "Preserving Open Space and Rural Character" with a perceived regional housing demand, it is recommended that no sewer extensions be allowed beyond the M.D.R. zoning districts (both northern and southern) unless the following conditions are met: 1) Any proposals for sewer extensions beyond M.D.R. districts shown in this plan be in accordance with future Comprehensive Plan amendments. In particular, amendments should pay particular attention to the environmental impact, regional housing needs, and traffic impact of land use changes. 2) All density increases contemplated by sewer extensions beyond exist- ing M.D.R. districts be accomplished through a program of permanent transferable development rights. The concurrent phasing of develop- ment and preservation would ensure that a balance was maintained and that community-wide benefits were derived from the $8.5 million (1979 dollars) investments in public sewers. E. RURAL LANDS AREA The use of land in the Rural Lands Area should be limited to agriculture, forestry, and very low density residential use. Public policy should clearly indicate that this area will not be sewered and that all private wastewater disposal system designs should anticipate having to serve a long life (20 years +). Possible consideration could include mandatory pumping, requirements for alternate beds, flow-reduction, mandatory in- spection, and separate gray water systems. Development of subdivisions and other large housing projects should be discouraged and the retention of open land should be encouraged. To implement this strategy, the following is recommended: 1) The minimum lot size for single family homes on individual lots would be 2-1, acres. 1. Past Trends and Future Projections, GPCOG. _ir_ CAPE ELIZABETH hMTURAL FEATURES 7- JL -:'7 ":---7 IL Oop IND a ver 7 Great Pond ............ .. . ... . 1.1 e 4"N.Jy 7 Ram LEGEND Island W-,c"%RCE PROTECTION AREAS Sebago Mucky Peat Coastal Dunes Tidal Marsh %.% Slopes Greater Than 25% SIGNIFICANT NATURAL AREAS R ......... .. ....... Farmlands ............. Proposed Green Belt o 1200 MEPARED BY GPCOG 1976 RURAL LANDS AREA Land Use Alternatives for a 22 Acres Sites Approx. Scale- 1 inch = 200 ft Traditional Development Incentive Clustering All . . ...... Vat "t It .5w..PR N.N. Y SINGLE FAMILY HOMES on INDIVIDUAL LOTS CLUSTER BONUS Minimum Lot Size 3 ACRES (7 Units) Minimum Area Per Family - 2 ACRES Permanent Open Space- NONE Minimum Open Space Ratio - .80 Feet of Road - 800' Permanent Open Space - 17+ ACRES Feet of Road - 400' 2) To preserve agricultural land, forests and open space, per- formance clustering would be allowed. Under this proposal, the following standards would apply:, a. Minimum area per family two acres b. Minimum open space ratio .801 To preserve the open.space required under performance clustering, it might be necessary for the developer to utilize a communal wastewater disposal system. Such systems may utilize individual septic tanks with a common leach field. There is more than adequate engineering technology to design such systems, but the town must be certain that maintenance and repairs are fully covered in any proposed homeowners association. F. AREAS OF LOCAL SIGNIFICANCE Areas of local significance are those areas in Cape Elizabeth which have some natural, scenic, historic, or architectural features which make them important from a community-wide perspective. These areas would constitute an overlay district in the land use regulations, and develop- ment rights transfers from these areas to the designated growth areas would be encouraged. Conservation easements and clustering to avoid negative impacts on these areas should also be encouraged. G. LOCAL BUSINESS DISTRICTS Cape Elizabeth residents generally do their major shopping in South Portland or other areas. No new business districts are recommended in the Comprehensive Plan. In fact, it is recommended that the B.B. dis- trict in the Kettle Cove area be rezoned to residential. Although there is a large vacant B.B. district adjacent to Crescent Beach State Park, little actually has occurred. The committee recommends that the Crescent Beach Inn parcel remain in local business but that remainder of the exist- ing business zone be rezoned residential. If pressure for business development occurs in future years, expansion of the business zone should be considered. If future demand for business exceeds the area zoned for such activity, the following policy should be considered: Future business activity should be extended from existing business dis- tricts with careful consideration given to traffic, site design and layout at the time of such rezoning request. 1 Open Space Ratio - The open space ratio is a measure of the intensity of land use. It is arrived at by dividing total amount of open space within the site by the total site area. Open Space - Open space is land used for recreation, agriculture, resource protection, amenity, or buffers; is freely accessible to all residents of the development,,except in the case of agricultural lands where access may be restricted; and is protected by the provisions of the subdivision and zoning ordinance to ensure that it remains in such uses. Open space does not include land occupied by non-recreational buildings, roads, or road rights-of-way; nor does it include the yards or lots of single or multi-family dwelling units or parking areas as required by the provisions of the zoning ordinance. Open space should be left in a natural state except in the case of recreation uses which may contain impervious surfaces. -18- 0 t 4 9 t k CAPE ELIZABETH PR KMD ZONING N. N1\ NY C3 A\\ R 0 N <K n ICY N, 10 @,N\\ R iVer Great Pond RR NY N\ N\ It N NN \\\,% Ram Island LEGEND RR Rural Residential MDR Medium Density Residential B Business Resource Protection Existing REZOP Island EMI\\@'zJ Proposed N\ MEPARED BY QPCOG 1976 4 CAPE ELIZABETH SED LAND USE PLAN AM - 0\1 Vill A\\ 0 Vo sp 0 V AZ' 0 0 Plan out River ,jV Great Pond c@ 115\ M Ram Island LEGEND Medium Density -Northern System Existing &Potential Initial Sewering southern Potential Growth On Gravity Sewers J system Public-Quasi Public Land Resource Protection- Existing Resource Protection- Proposed W/0/0,/@, 0/g, Business R1 Island L%0'00** Proposed Sewer Lines Existing Sewer Lines Pumping Station MEPARED By GPCOG 1976 I APPENDIX Appendix A - Population A. Overall Growth B. Age Characteristics C. School Children D. School Enrollment to 1990 Three Models E. Social and Economic Characteristics A. OVERALL GROWTH (See Chart A) Cape Elizabeth, along with Falmouth and Scarborough, was among the first communities in the Greater Portland area to develop as a "suburb", i.e., as a residential bedroom community for people who work in the urban centers. Cape Elizabeth grew gradually between 1920 and 1950, and then spurted in the post-war period of 1950-1970. In this 20-year period the Cape was the fastest growing community in the metro- politan area. This in-migration occurred during a period in which the region as a whole experienced a net out-migration. In the 1970's, growth in Cape Elizabeth leveled off. During this period, the region as a whole experienced a large net in-migration, but most of this growth took place in communities farther out than the Cape - Gorham, Windham, Yarmouth, Standish, etc. In-migration figures for Cape Elizabeth reflect this slowdown. NET IN-MIGRATION, CAPE ELIZABETH 1940-1949 198 1950-1959 1149 1960-1969 1710 1970-1979 150 Greater Portland Council of Governments projections show a continued steady rate of growth in the future. As the cost of transportation con- tinues to increase, and land use controls become more common in the outlying communities, Cape Elizabeth is expected to continue to attract residential development over the long run. A-1 hart A: 12 CAPE ELIZABETH POPULATION GROWTH PROJECTED lo__ STEADY GROWTH 8 POST-WAR 6-- SPURT 4-- EARLY SUBURBANIZATION 2-- 0 1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000 c YEAR B. AGE CHARACTERISTICS (See Chart B) In 1970, Cape Elizabeth had proportionately more middle-aged residents than the rest of Cumberland County and proportionately fewer elderly people (75 or more) and young people (20-24). This middle-aged group represents the people who migrated to Cape Elizabeth in the post war (1950-1970) years, while the rest of the county experienced a net out- migration. With middlp-aged people come children. In 1970 the Cape had a higher proportion of school-age children than the rest of the County. Since 1970, the middle-aged character of the Cape has been reinforced by the region's in-migration. A study of license plate applications of new residents from out of state shows that Cape Elizabeth tended to get a higher proportion of in-migrants in the 35-64 age group than the rest of the region. IN-MIGRANTS, 1975-1976 TOTAL 16-19 20-24 25-34 35-44 45-64 65+ Cape Elizabeth number 228 8 21 87 51 52 9 percent 4% 9% 38% 22% 23% 4% Region percent 2% 16% 47% 15% 16% 4% A-3 Chart B: AGE PYRAMIDS- PROPORTION OF POPULATION BY AGE AND SEX MALE FEMALE MALE FEMALE 85+ 75+ 80-84 75-79 70' .74 65..69 60 60-64 1 55-.59 1 Ph 45 54 50 54 1 1 45 49 3504 40.44 1 344 ,24 20-.24 15 19 15 119 10 14 10i 14 5 -F 9 5i9 014 1 0 ; 4 6 4 3 2 1 0 12 3 4 5 6 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 1 2 4 CAPE ELIZABE TH CUMBERLAND COUNTY F[]74 1970 64 460-164 59 H5 "-. C. SCHOOL CHILDREN School children come to Cape Elizabeth from two sources: 1) Children born in Cape Elizabeth 2) Children in families migrating to the Cape Each will be discussed in turn. 1) Births The birth rate in Cape Elizabeth fell below that of the county in 1960 and has since remained lower. The birth rate for both the county and Cape Elizabeth have dropped by half since 1960. (See Chart C). This declining birth rate is reflected in the declining sizes of entering classes in Cape Elizabeth schools (See Chart D). Chart C: BIRTH RATES SELECTED YEARS 0-30-- rZ %x _j R CUMBERLAND COUNTY Q 20 CAPE ELIZABETH cc @@ lo- - 1950 1960 1970 1975 _CUMBERL, PE EL@IZABETH A-5 Chart D: YEAR 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 ENTERING KINDERGARTEN CLASSES KINDERGARTEN Z CLASS INCREASE uj DUE TO 200 - IN MIGRATION cr uu 100- co BIRTHS 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 .72 73 74 75 76 77 YEAR CAPE ELIZABETH BIRTHS AND ENTERING KINDERGARTEN CLASSES COMPARED: 1964-1977 2) Children of In-migrants The same chart showing declining kindergarten enrollments also shows that in-migration has contributed to entering classes in every year since 1970. This in-migration has also - in most years - contributed to the growth of existing classes in the schools (see Chart E). From 1972 to 1974, high levels of in- migration of students contributed to stabilizing school enroll- ments in the Cape, in the face of declining entering class sizes because of lower birth rates. This cessation of in-migration, combined with lower birth rates, contributed to a sharp drop in overall enrollment (see Chart F). Chart E: 7 AVERAGE GRADE SIZE GROWTH 6 DUE TO INMIGRATION (GradeS K-8) 5 UJ 4 3 CO2 70 71 72 73 74 76/77 0 YEAR -1 Average grade size from 1970 to 1977 varied between roughly 150 and 175 students. A-7 Chart F: OVERALL ENROLLMENT- 2300 (1969-1977) 2200 2100 Q CO) 2000 0 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 YEAR 3) Conclusion With the birth rate stabilizing, and construction in Cape Elizabeth likely to pick up in the years ahead, an eventual stabilization of the school population can be seen in the 1980's. This stabilized level should be lower than the current level, however, somewhere in the 1600-1800 student range. The short term prospect is for a continued decline in overall enroZZ- ment until the new equilibrium is reached. A-8 14,000 13,800 13,000 C. High Growth 12,000 11000 R10,000-- 9900 B. Moderate Growthoo (G.RQ0.G. 40 101 Projectioij),# 00 9250 00 9000 10 10 '0000 Low Growth 400 8000 7,800 0 70 75 80 85 90 YEAR 8 Chart G: CAPE ELIZABETH POPULATION GROWTH UNDER THREE GROWTH MODELS A-9 D. SCHOOL ENROLLMENT TO 1990 - THREE MODELS I. The Three Models In response to the Committee's inquiries, three projections of school enrollment for Cape Elizabeth were prepared. Each model has the same assumptions about the birth rate (a slight increase in years ahead), and about the relationship between in-migrants and school population (a constant ratio of one new student for every five in-migrants). However, each model assumes a different level of in-migration to Cape Elizabeth. MODEL A Low Growth - No in-migration, population growth due solely to natural increase. MODEL B Moderate Growth - A modest level of in-migration - roughly 50 persons per year. This model is based on projections contained in Past Trends and Future Projections (GPCOG, 1977). MODEL C High Growth - This model was designed to provide a level of growth necessary to return school enrollment to the desired level of 2100 students. Net in-migrant population in this model comes to 350 people per year. The population and housing demand implications of these models are shown on charts G and H. For details on how these models were constructed, see the Technical Appendix at the end of this section. 2. Findings The results of these models are quite discouraging. To maintain school enrollment would require a growth rate that would almost double Cape Elizabeth's housing stock by 1990, a rate of growth which would seem undesirable from an environmental and local tax standpoint. Yet a low growth rate almost certainly means that school enrollment will fall almost to half its 1969 level over the next ten years. This too would mean higher taxes, a narrower curriculum, etc. Beyond this basic finding, the models show that: a) No matter what level of in-migration Cape Elizabeth experiences over the next five years, school enrollment will continue to drop because of the impact of recent low birth rates. Even the high growth model of 175 units per year has the school enrollment dip- ping to 1850 in the 1981-1983 period. b) The GPCOG moderate growth projection model shows a leveling out of students at the 1350 level - much lower than the 1600-1800 level estimated earlier. c) A substantial rise in the birth rate would do as much for Cape Elizabeth as would new in-migration. While this is a difficult area to predict, it is unlikely that this rate will rise more than the model predicts. Too many lifestyle changes have occurred in the last 10 years to allow for the high birth rates of the 50's and early 60's (women in the work force, single living, divorces, in- flation, etc.). If the birth rate doesn't rise as much as the model predicts (from 9.4 to 12 births per thousand), school enrollment will be even lower. A-10 175-- C. HIGH GROWTH 150-- Chart H: 125-- cc CAPE _lq ELIZABETH Yw- cc ANNUAL WIX 100 - - .................. HOUSING DEMAND B. MODERATE Z 1978-1990 z GROWTH 0 (G.RC.O.G. UNDER Z Projection) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75-- THREE GROWTH MODELS tu A Low GROWTH so-- 25-- . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0- A-11 d) With no new in-migration, school enrollment will continue dropping at a level of 100 per year until 1983 - down 800 students in eight years. The school situation will be considered further in the housing section, since the development of a housing policy for the town will have to take this situation into account. 2400 2300 Actual 2200 DESIRABLE STUDENT LEVEL 2100 ED 1100" 2000- High Growth 1900 1800 1700- A U ... _J 1600 _J 1500- Moderate Growth N(G.RC.O.G. Projection 4%M ENVO 1400- ++a. Now now No X co 1300- A. Low Growi 1200- 0 t 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 YEAR Chart I CAPE ELIZABETH 1978-1990 Actual @ RABLE@ 1 1 V I@INE 1 PROJECTED SCHOOL ENROLLMENTS UNDER THREE GROWTH MODELS A-12 E. SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS The following is a very brief survey of some of the social and economic characteristics of Cape Elizabeth's population. Most of the information is taken from the 1970 Census, which means that it is somewhat dated. 1. Cape Elizabeth has predominantly middle to upper income families (See chart J). The attached chart compares Cape Elizabeth's income mix with the whole Portland metropolitan area in 1970. 2. Cape Elizabeth's income growth from 1950 to 1970 was faster than that of the region's (see chart K). The 1950-1970 period was the period of Cape Elizabeth's fastest expansion. During this period the median income for the Cape rose at a correspondingly fast pace. 3. There is a very low rate of poverty in Cape Elizabeth. This is a logical corollary to the first two statements. Since most residents of the Cape have come in the last 20 years or so, there isn't a large local elderly population in need of help. Ten percent of Cape Elizabeth's population in 1975 was over 65, in contrast to 12 percent for the region. Of these, approximately 550 elderly households, less than 50 receive public assistance of any kind - tax and rent refund, food stamps, social security income. There are perhaps 50 families on public assistance (food stamps, AFDC) in Cape Elizabeth, and probably many more with economic difficulties from inflation or unemployment. The unemployment rate in Cape Elizabeth in 1976 was 5.9 percent, while it was 8.3 percent for the Count'y (Annual Planning Reeort, Cumberland County, Maine Department of Manpower Af airs, p. 24). Since then, unemployment for the Port- land region has dropped to 5 percent in April, 1978. Food stamp recipients in Cape Elizabeth have dropped off at the same time, from 58 families in 1975 to 33 families in 1977. A growing proportion of these families have a female as head of the household, with the woman either divorced or separated (42 percent of 1977 recipients). 4. Cape Elizabeth residents are well educated. In 1970, 26 percent of Cape Elizabeth residents over the age of 25 had completed four or more years of college. This is in contrast to the comparable percent for the metropolitan area in 1970 of 12 percent. This also is in contrast to the situation in Cape Elizabeth in 1950, when 15 percent of the residents over the age of 25 had college degrees. 5. Women are playing a larger role in Cape Elizabeth's work force. In 1950, one woman in five in Cape Elizabeth was in the labor force. In 1970, the number was two in five. Today, the proportion of Cape Elizabeth women who work is probably closer to one of every two. This development represents a revolution both in the workplace and in the home. It plays a significant role in reducing birth rates, in- creasing the need for day care, and increasing the need for part time jobs, etc. CAPE ELIZABETH PoRnAND &&&A. $509000 & UP F- $25-509000 $15j259000 $12P59000 $10 129000 $8 109000 $5i89OOO $0-59 000 30 20 18 0 10 20 30 PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES Chart J. 1970 FAMILY INCOME DISTRIBUTION, CAPE ELIZABETH AND REGION COMPARED A- 14 14,000-- Chart K: '010, 14 I.lk MEDIAN FAMILY 'I10 INCOME GROWTH -V, 1 12,000-- 19 1970 50 Vol 01 ol 4k@ oli 10,000-- 0101 410 8000-- olf 40P 0 6000-- 010 0 1 4000-- 2000-- 01 1450 1960 1970 YEAR _ql A- 15 6. Cap_e Elizabeth's work force is predominantly white collar. Eighty percent of Cape Elizabeth's work force is engaged in profes- sional-managerial jobs and sales-service-clerical jobs. This pre- dominance is true for both men and women. The trend towards white collar jobs has increased in the Cape between 1950 and 1970. Proportion of workers by occupation, 1950 and 1970, Cape Elizabeth. Male Female 1950 1970 1950 1970 Professional-managerial 31 44 23 37 Sales-service-clerical 25 34 52 52 Craftsmen-operatives 22 16 4 6 Farm workers 6 1 - - Other (laborers, domestic 12 5 21 5 work, etc.) Total employed 953 3060 254 1102 7. Most Cape Elizabeth residents work outside of the community. Almost half of Cape Elizabeth workers commute to Portland to work. The second largest group works in South Portland. The next largest group works in the Scarborough-Cape Elizabeth area. Place of Work, 1970, Cape Elizabeth workers Portland 1459 48% So. Portland 615 20% Cape Elizabeth, Gorham, and Scarborough 496 16% Other towns in SMSA 70 3% Other towns outside SMSA 201 7% Not given 184 6% 8. Most Cape Elizabeth workers commute by car. Four fifths of Cape Elizabeth's workers reach their job by car. Means of transport to work, 1970, Cape Elizabeth Of 3025 total workers 2347 drove 78% 236 carpooled 8% 58 took the bus 2% 7took a train ? - 124 walked 4% 100 worked at home 3% 120 got there some other way 4% The above facts - that most Cape residents work in Portland and South Portland, and that most commute by car - would suggest that if the town were to develop an energy policy, one of the first priority issues would be how to encourage mass transit use and carpooling. A-16 TECHNICAL APPENDIX ON SCHOOL PROJECTIONS I A-17 DESCRIPTION OF MODELS (A) Low Growth Assumes no net in-migration to Cape Elizabeth between 1978 and 1990. (B) Moderate Growth Assumes a modest level of net in-migration to Cape Elizabeth between 1978 and 1990 - roughly 50 persons per year. This model is based on projections of Cape Elizabeth's population contained in Past Trends and Future Projections, GPCOG, 1977. (C) High Growth This model provides a level of growth necessary to return school enroll- ment to the desirable level of 2100 students. Net in-migrant population in this model comes to 350 people per year. A-18 ASSUMPTIONS OF SCHOOL ENROLLMENT PROJECTION MODEL 1. School enrollment for a given year (SE) is equal to the school enroll- ment of the previous year (SE-1) less the graduating class (G), plus the children aged five born in Cape Elizabeth (B), plus children of in-migrating families (M). SE = (SE-1) - (G) + (B) + (M) The graduating class for each year is taken from 1977 enrollments (Grade 12 is class of 1977, Grade 11 is class of 1978, etc.). Children aged five are determined from births which have (or will) take place in Cape Elizabeth five years prior to the projected year. In-migrant children are adjusted, according to assumptions of popu- lation growth. 2. The birth rate is projected to rise gradually between 1978 and 1983 to 12 births per 1000 population (the 1975 birth rate in Cape Elizabeth was 9.4 births per 1000). 3. It is assumed that 50 percent of the projected population growth in Cape Elizabeth between 1975 and 1990, in the GPCOG projections (moderate growth), is due to natural increase. This is the comparable figure for the region. (See Past Trends and Future Projections, pp. 19, 27). 4. It is assumed that the ratio of school enrollment growth to in-migrant population in Cape Elizabeth from 1978-1990, will be the same as the region's ratio of school enrollment to population in 1975 (40,661 students/188,900 population = .2 students/person see Growth in the Cumberland Housing Market, 1970-1975, pp. 41-42). A-19 ASSSUMPTIONS OF HOUSING PROJECTION MODEL (For detailed discussions of each of these assumptions, see Past Trends and Future Projections, Section 2 Housing) 1. That household size in Cape Elizabeth will decrease by 14 percent between 1975 and 1990. This is a reflection of lifestyle changes - more elderly living on their own, more singles living alone, more couples without children, children leaving home earlier, lower birth rates generally. 2. A vacancy rate of 2 percent. 3. A need to replace stock lost to fires, demolition, etc. Estimated to be only 1 percent of Cape Elizabeth's current housing stock over the next 13 years. A-20 MODEL A LOW GROWTH School Graduating Birth In-migrant In-migrant Year Enrollment Class Population Rate Births School Children Population 77 2002 8600 78 1882 185 8650 65 0 0 79 1799 153 8700 70 0 0 80 1700 178 8750 79 0 0 81 1590 181 8800 71 0 0 82 1502 170 8850 82 0 0 83 1406 183 8900 .01 87 0 0 84 1375 127 8950 .011 96 0 0 85 1331 149 9000 .012 105 0 0 86 1300 137 9050 .012 106 0 0 87 1267 140 9100 .012 107 0 0 88 1238 136 9150 .012 107 0 0 89 1202 144 9200 .012 108 0 0 90 1207 104 9250 .012 109 0 0 A-22 MODEL B MODERATE GROWTH School Graduating Birth In-migrant In-migrant ear Enrollment Class Population Rate Births School Children Population 77 2002 8600 78 1892 185 8700 65 10 50 79 1819 153 8800 70 10 50 80 1730 178 8900 79 10 50 81 1630 181 9000 71 10 50 82 1552 170 9100 82 10 50 83 1466 183 9200 .01 87 10 50 84 1446 127 9300 .011 97 10 50 85 1414 149 9400 .012 107 10 50 86 1395 137 9500 .012 108 10 50 87 1374 140 9600 .012 109 10 50 88 1358 136 9700 .012 110 10 50 89 1336 144 9800 .012 112 10 50 90 1355 104 9900 .012 113 10 50 A-23 MODEL C HIGH GROWTH School Graduating Birth In-migrant In-migrant Year Enrollment class Population Rate Births School Children Population 77 2002 8600 78 1952 185 9000 65 70 350 79 1939 153 9400 70 70 350 80 1910 178 9800 79 70 350 81 1870 181 10200 71 70 350 82 1852 170 10600 82 70 350 83 1829 183 11000 .01 90 70 350 84 1875 127 11400 .011 103 70 350 85 1914 149 11800 .012 118 70 350 86 1969 137 12200 .012 122 70 350 87 2026 140 12600 .012 127 70 350 88 2092 136 13000 .012 132 70 350 89 2155 144 13400 .012 137 70 350 90 2263 104 13800 .012 142 70 350 A-24 HOUSING CONSTRUCTION NEEDED A B C A. Population, 1990 9250 9900 13800 B. Household size, 1990 2.82 2.82 2.82 C. Total Units (A divided by B) 3280 3511 4894 D. +2% vacancy (C x 1.02) 3346 3581 4992 E. P-lus replacement 26 26 26 (1% of 75) (G x .01) F. Total need 3372 3607 5018 G. 1975 units 2564 2564 2564 H.. 76-90 demand (F - G) 808 1043 2454 1.' 76-77 permits 93 93 93 J. 78-90 demand (H - 1) 715 960 2361 Annual demand (J divided by 13) 55 -74 182 K. Rounded 50 75 175 A-25 Appendix B - Housing A. Introduction B. The Housing Stock C. The Cost of Housing D. The School Enrollment Issue E. The Issue of Diversity I A. INTRODUCTION Cape Elizabeth is primarily a residential community. 'There is little commercial or industrial development. The major use of developed land is for housing (1900 acres, or 19 percent of Cape's land area). This residential predominance is projected to continue until the year 2000, when 3200 acres - or a third of the town's land - will be occupied by housing (see Past Trends and Future Projections, p. 69). In this situation, the major questions to be addressed in the Comprehensive Plan invariably involve housing policy. Tax goals, school enrollment goals, social goals, environmental goals, civic goals, all come back at one point or another to housing issues. How much development should be allowed? Where? At what rate? At what cost? What type? There are different answers to each of these questions from the points of view of the Cape's schools, social make-up, environment, etc. These questions can only finally be resolved at the end of the compre- hensive planning process, after all the relevant factors have been reviewed. In this section, two of these factors will be reviewed: the school situation, and the social make-up of the community. B-1 900 867 797 750 -600 . . . . . ....... . . . . . . . .... 450 387 LL WROJECTEDI 383 343 300 . ...... ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . ............... ...... ..................... . JACTUALI::::-:,:*11 @@B-70-7 7 150 .......................... .. ......................... . ................. ...... .......................... ......................... .... ........................... ................. . ... ...... ................. ......................... .:.: ; "I,.,.,.. ............... . . ...... ..... .... ......................... 0 - PRE 1940 40's Ws 60's 709S Chart L: AGE OF CAPE ELIZABETH HOUSING (Year-round Housing Only) B-2 B. THE HOUSING STOCK As of January 1, 1978, there were 2,739 housing units in Cape Elizabeth. Of these, 2,456 were year-round, single-family homes; 190 were apartments or two-family homes; 91 were seasonal dwellings; and two were mobile homes. Most of the housing is of recent origin - less than 25 years old. One third of the housing is over 35 years old, built before 1940. (See Chart Q. Because most of the housing is new, the stock in Cape Elizabeth is in very good condition. Less than 1 percent of the year-round stock is deteriorated or dilapidated (depreciated 60 percent or more on the tax cards in 1975). This shows an improvement over past census and windshield surveys. It is a reflection of private housing rehabilitation efforts on the part of homeowners in the Cape. Housing construction has tapered off in Cape Elizabeth since 1966, when 106 housing units were authorized by permit (see Chart M). Over the last ten years, construction has hovered around the 50-unit-per-year level, sometimes dropping off as low as 20 units. GPCOG projections point to a probable demand of 75 units per year in Cape Elizabeth over the next 12 years. B-3 loo-- 80-- 60-- 40 cc 20 0- 1 f 58 60 65 70 75 YEAR Chart M: CAPE ELIZABETH BUILDING PERMITS 1958-1977 B-4 C. THE COST OF HOUSING Substandard housing is not the primary housing problem facing Cape Elizabeth or the region, as it once was. It has been replaced by the problem of housing inflation. Inflation in the past several years has tended to be most severe in the basic necessities of life: food, shelter, health care, transportation. These elements have tended to have a higher inflation rate than the overall inflation rate. For example, the cost of a single family home in the region has gone up roughly at the rate of 10 percent a year in the region since 1970, well above the overall annual inflation rate of 6 percent. The cost of housing in Cape Elizabeth has not been an exception to this trend. The median sale price of a home in Cape Elizabeth in 1970 was $27,100. In 1977 the median sale was $46,000, an increase of 70 percent over seven years. The problem in Cape Elizabeth is accentuated by two factors: 1) A relatively high base price of housing in 1970 from which the inflation has taken place. By contrast, the region's median sale in 1970 was $21,200; in 1977 it was $37,000. (Housing_1976-1977, GPCOG, 1978). 2) A lack of availability of less expensive types of housing in Cape Elizabeth: apartments, mobile homes, subsidized housing (see chart below). Housing Stock by Type, Proportion Cape Elizabeth Region Mobile homes, 1975 0% 3% Subsidized housing, 1975 0% 9% Multi-family, 1977 7% 39% Source: GPCOG Land Use Monitoring System Another consequence of a predominance of single-family housing in a community is a relatively low rate of turnover. This fact, coupled with cost and type of housing in the Cape, means that Cape Elizabeth is a relatively inaccessible community for housing for the average family. A family can move to Cape Elizabeth by: 1) buying a new house; 2) buying an existing house; 3) buying a condominium; or 4) renting an apartment. Most of these are expensive options. New homes in Cape Elizabeth can be purchased for as low as $45,000, for an unfinished house on a small lot. Most new housing has gone into existing subdivisions and rural areas. This housing usually costs between $50,000 and $60,000. There are a limited number of new condominiums available R -S at $30,000 plus, and subsidized elderly apartments available (rent scaled to income). Existing homes, as has been stated, sell on average for $46,000. There are only a limited number of homes avail- able for under $35,000. The few rents available are high, in the $250 to $270 a month range. The above picture was put together by interviews with the building inspector, builders, and from federal and local surveys. The only other community examined in this depth recently in the region has been Gorham, in research done for a 1978 Housing Assistance Plan. A com- parison between costs in these two suburban communities is instructive. Gorham Cape Elizabeth A. Proportion of housing available through turnover each year 12% 5% (number of units) (350) (125) B. Of these units, proportion avail- able to families with incomes under $12,000 44% 11% under $20,000 83% 36% Sources: Gorham 1978 Housing Assistance Plan, pp. 8-9. See Technical Appendix methodology in Gorham and Cape Elizabeth. The chart shows that few units are available in Cape Elizabeth each year for new families, and of these, fewer still are affordable for the average family. Two thirds of Cape Elizabeth's housing requires an annual income of $20,000 to afford, in contrast to only a sixth of Gorham's housing. The fact that Cape Elizabeth's housing is so expensive and exclusive has a number of implications. One is that the community has a sizeable and stable residential property tax base. Another is that the community is relatively homogeneous in terms of social class and income, as the section on social characteristics indicated. This last point will be explored further in part E of this section, "The Issue of Diversity." B-6 D. THE SCHOOL ENROLLMENT ISSUE In his memo to Mr. Fisher, of June 6, 1978, Dr. Thurlow, the Super- intendent of Schools, pointed out that: "An important consideration to note is the inability of any school system to sustain a broad based educational experience once their total enrollment falls below 21-2200." The three projection models developed earlier show that, in the ab- sence of a significant rise in the birth rate or in the rate of in- migration, the school enrollment level in Cape Elizabeth will fall far short of the desired level. The Comprehensive Plan Committee can do nothing about the birth rate, and is constrained from encouraging new housing development and in- migration by environmental considerations. Within the limits of the probable housing growth rate, however, there are other housing factors which become important. Research, which took place in New Jersey in the early 1970's, indicated that certain types of housing were more likely to attract school children than others. The study looked at four types of housing - garden apartment, high-rise apartment, townhouse, and single-family home (priced under $30,000). It looked at each of these types of dwellings by bedroom size, relative cost, development size, development age, location, and unique development features. The basic findings of the study were two: 1. Single-family homes and townhouses tended to be more attractive to families with children than did garden or high-rise apartments. 2. The more bedrooms in a dwelling, the higher the average family size. The table below shows the school children multipliers for the three types of housing relevant to Cape Elizabeth. The table indicates that a 4-bedroom, single-family home or townhouse has, on the average, one school child. A one-bedroom, garden apart- ment, by contrast, only has a one in 20 probability of having a school- child. PUBLIC SCHOOL ATTENDEES PER DWELLING UNIT IN N.J. K GR. H.S. TOTAL GARDEN 1 bedroom (br) .005 .024 .017 .046 2 br .032 .250 .062 .344 TOWNHOUSES 2 br .029 .134 .057 .220 3 br .097 .450 .108 .655 4 br .125 .712 .189 1.026 SINGLE-FAMILY HOME (moderately priced - under $30,000 in early 1970's) 3 br .083 .408 .135 .626 4 br .152 .969 .172 1.293 Source: Methods of Housing Analysis (1977), p. 143, James W. Hughes, Rutgers University Press. B-7 Since 1970, household sizes and school enrollments have dropped through- out the nation. It is projected that these reductions will be even more severe in the years ahead. Cape Elizabeth is not atypical in this regard. Cape Elizabeth, public school multipliers school ratio of students households enrollment to households 1970 2280 2311 1.01 1977 2733 2002 .733 % change, 70-77 +20% -13% -27% GPCOG projection, 1990 3511 1355 .386 (Model B) Projected % change, 78-90 +28% -32% -54% Because of this change, it is likely that the New Jersey multiplers shown in the table on the previous page are now considerably lower than they were at the time of the survey, and will continue to decrease in the near future. But even when this is taken into account, the fact remains that certain types of housing growth are far more likely to have school children than other types. Cape Elizabeth's zoning currently favors single-family home development, which is a type of housing with high school children multipliers. It says nothing about bedroom sizes, which appear to be an even more critical factor in influencing school children probabilities. In addi- tion, the high cost of housing in Cape Elizabeth may invalidate some of the New Jersey findings on single-family homes. The New Jersey study is based on single family homes valued under $30,000. It is probably that more expensive housing tends to attract older families, with fewer young children. In summary, looking at a housing policy strictly from the perspective of school enrollment, the following directions seem to be appropriate for Cape Elizabeth. 1) Encouraging as high a level of housing growth as feasible within the constraints of land, environment, and services. 2) Encouraging single-family home and townhouse development. 3) Encouraging housing with four bedrooms. 4) Encouraging housing of moderate costs. These findings will have to be weighed against the housing needs of the community as viewed from other perspectives, such as social diversity, environment, town services, etc. B-8 E. THE ISSUE OF DIVERSITY In a recent statement of residential land use policy, the Cape Elizabeth Planning Board approved the following goal: "Aim for a population which has heterogeneity of incomes, social and cultural groups, occupations, ages, etc. Means: Permit a variety of housing densities and costs through land use regulation." (P. 3, Local Growth Policy Statements9 GPCOG, 1977) In the same statement of policy, the Board called for the restriction of apartment dwellings (Goal 1), the encouragement of housing conforming to the existing single-family character (Goal 3). and the restriction of housing development which cannot be shown to pay its way (Goals, 5. 69 7). Obviously, there is a contradiction here. If it is assumed that Cape Elizabeth's population is currently relatively homogeneous, and that the policies proposed would allow only new single-family homes with property valuations, it is hard to conclude that the result will be a heterogeneous population. These policies display a certain ambivalence towards the issue of social diversity. It is easy to understand why. Encouraging social diversity in Cape Elizabeth would have its costs. Diversity would mean having more lower income families who would live in housing which would not pay as much in taxes. The families may also need more services from the town, such as police protection and social services. They may have different tastes than current residents - for example, preferring to live in a mobile home rather than a detached house. These are some of the risks involved if the goal of diversity were actually to be achieved. On the other hand, there would be benefits as well. The new residents would bring new values and skills into town civic life. Cape Elizabeth children would grow up in a more pluralistic atmosphere, reflecting more closely the society they will enter upon leaving school. There is an inherent tension between the natural tendency of people to choose to live near people who share their background and values, and the American ideal of providing equal opportunity for all social groups to better themselves and live where they wish. No matter what Cape Eliza- beth's zoning and land use regulations might have looked like in the past few years, it is unlikely that their actual development would have been much different. Nothing in the zoning ordinance requires houses in the Cape to cost $80,000. Yet this is precisely the type of housing which has primarily been developed in response to people's wishes in the last few years. Having said this, however, this does not mean that the town has no respon- sibility in the matter. The town does have a legal and moral responsibility to insure that at least the opportunity exists for people of different incomes and backgrounds to live there. The town cannot build the houses, or make the land values different than they are. But it must be con- scientious in seeking that it is not creating any unnecessary obstacles through its ordinances and regulations which prevent people of different incomes and social groups from living in Cape Elizabeth. B-9 In this respect, Cape Elizabeth's record has not been as good as it could be. The town has passed unlimited Consent Resolutions for the Maine Housing Authority to operate in the town as its local authority. In this, Cape Elizabeth is one of only three towns in the region to have done so (Falmouth and Bridgton being the others). However, this resolution has not yet resulted in any family housing, and Cape Eliza- beth is the only community in the region which has no subsidized family housing at this point. Cape Elizabeth prohibits mobile home develop- ment, another form of inexpensive housing. Only Pownal and South Portland have fewer mobile homes, and both of those communities have considerable amounts of subsidized family housing. Apartment develop- ment is restricted by Cape Elizabeth's ordinances. With the cost of single-family housing going up, it is expected that there will be more need for apartments in the future than ever before. Some sewered areas of Cape Elizabeth have one-acre lot requirements for single-family homes. This represents an added housing expense for people who wish to build in these areas, an expense which is difficult to be justified on envir- onmental grounds. Beyond these, builders raise examples of frontage requirements, curbing and sidewalk requirements, road width requirements, and experience of unnecessary delays in Planning Board approvals, all of which have added to the cost of housing in Cape Elizabeth. Obviously, a balance is needed here. The loose planning standards of the 50's and 60's have resulted in the environmental and septic problems which the town faces today in its sewer decisions. It is a false economy to remove restrictions which preserve a quality environment. On the other hand, regulations which are promulgated with the intent to discourage new housing development everywhere in town and which do not bear a direct and recognized relationship to the residents' health, safety, and welfare are inappropriate and probably illegal. The issue of diversity is complex and difficult. Most people favor the goal of diversity in concept, but fear its potential consequences. The town is, in any case, limited in what it can do to achieve the goal. The minimum it can do is to remove the obstacles present in local regu- lations to allow a diversity of housing types. If the town is to affirm diversity as a goal, the housing policy implications are: 1) Amending the zoning ordinance to allow a broader range of low cost housing types in the town than are now permitted; 2) Promulgating only those subdivision, zoning, and growth control ordinances which can be clearly related to the actual health, safety, and welfare of the town's residents; and 3) Participation in regional efforts to scatter low-income family housing on a fair share basis to urban and suburban communities (see Regional Housing Strategy, GPCOG, 1978). Again, these housing policy requirements will have to be weighed against other town needs before a comprehensive housing policy can be established. B-10 6 I TECHNICAL APPENDIX ON HOUSING COSTS a .4 1 B-11 Assumptions of Procedure 1. Turnover based on 1970 Census statistics on proportion of households living in the town in 1965. 2. Existing home value distribution based on sample of Maine Multiple Listing Sales in 1977. 3. New home values based on a review of 1977 permit values with town building inspector. 4. Housing costs on new and existing homes based on: - 91-2 percent mortgage, 80 percent of home value - tax rate of $46.60 on 50 percent of value - $10 insurance, $75 utilities 5. Rental costs based on U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) market survey of February, 1978. 6. Affordability based on the assumption that a family can pay 25 percent of its gross income for housing costs (taken from HUD guidelines). 7. Same procedure used for Gorham and Cape Elizabeth analyses. B-12 Cape Elizabeth Worksheet Monthly Cost and Turnover Cumulative Cumulative cost Annual Income Type Turnover Turnover % Inc. Utilities Needed New Elderly Subsidized 10 10 6 (25% of income) any Existing apartments 10 20 11 $250 $12,000 Existing apartments 10 30 17 $270 $13,000 Existing homes $26,000 and under 3 33 19 $311 $15,000 Existing homes $32,000 and under 16 49 28 $364 $17,500 Existing homes $38,000 and under 14 63 36 $416 $20,000 Existing homes $44,000 and under 21 84 48 $468 $22,500 Existing homes $46,000 and under 9 93 53 $486 $23,500 Existing and new homes under $50,000 19 112 64 $521 $25,000 Existing and new homes $50,000 + 63 175 100 $25,000+ B-13 I& i. Appendix C - Cape Elizabeth Watersheds w or 8. P. CAPE ELIZABETH WATERSHEDS Cape Elizabeth has four principal watersheds: Trout Brook, the Spurwink River (direct tributaries to the Atlantic Ocean), and the Great Pond Alewife Brook system. Each watershed has different characteristics, owing to their differing sizes, sensitivities and land uses. This section is to briefly discuss these watersheds in terms of their sensitivity and the land use management techniques available to minimize environmental degradation. The Trout Brook watershed lies partially within the Town of Cape Elizabeth., This area is relatively urbanized, particularly in South Portland. The stream is estimated to flow at an average of 2.5 cubic feet per second. It's prin- cipal problems are sediments and stormwater runoff (bacteria). Since this is an urban waterbody, it is used for informal recreation by neighborhood children and it does serve an important drainage function. Stormwater runoff, with its high bacterial pollution adversely affects the first of these uses, and sediment loads reduce the stream's channel capacity increasing the fre- quency and severity of flooding. Several possible control measures are available to abate the pollution of Trout Brook, but none will afford complete protection. Bacterial pollution caused by stormwater runoff can be reduced by the good housekeeping of the residents of the watershed. Additional pollution can be avoided by storm- water pollution controls recommended for new developments and discussed at the conclusion of this section. Sediment controls available are street sweeping and the agricultural conservation plan of the single farmer in the basin. Adoption of shoreland zoning provisions for the portion of this water- shed would go far towards minimizing the pollution generated in Cape Elizabeth, The Spurwink Estuary lies in three municipalities, Cape Elizabeth, Scarborough, and South Portland. At present, each contributes a significant pollution load to the estuary. Scarborough's sanitary waste discharges will be abated with the construction of a sewerage system for Higgins Beach. With the completion of the Environmental Impact Statement for Scarborough's proposed sewage system, the process of planning and construction can begin again. South Portland's dump has been closed, and its use will cease as the Greater Portland Solid Waste Management Board's baler completes its shakedown. Cape Elizabeth's pol- lution of the marsh comes from two principal sources, combined sewer overflows and stormwater runoff. Combined sewer overflows will be minimized or elim- inated by the proposed Southern Cape Elizabeth Sewerage System. Stormwater runoff contamination will remain as the most important threat to water quality. Bacteria in the estuary do not harm the native species, but they do reduce the utilization of the estuary by humans. For example, clamming and swimming are directly affected by concentrations of coliform organisms in excess of state standards. Thus, a long run program to control the adverse impact of stormwater pollution will increase the practical uses of the marsh. Such controls are discussed at the conclusion of this section. Resource protection zoning applied to the tributaries to the Spurwink River in Cape Elizabeth would complement the other pollutant-specific recommendations iflade in this section. C-1 The minor tributaries to the Atlantic Ocean i,n Cape Elizabeth do not signif- icantly affect the coastal environment. Because of the flushing and turbulence of the waters of Cape Elizabeth, the relatively small amounts of water and contaminants discharged by any stream or ditch are readily assimilated. How- ever, some of these streams may be important in their own right. At the present time, so little data is available on the flora and fauna in these streams and their present or potential recreational uses that a set of specific recommendations for pollution control cannot be developed. Instead, general provisions such as the stormwater runoff recommendation and shoreland zoning are recommended to assure that development does not preclude existing or p6s- sible uses. Sewage disposal is of particular concern in these small tributaries. The Great Pond is probably Cape Elizabeth's most sensitive waterbody in terms of potential measurable consequences of land use changes. Great Pond appears to be a naturally eutrophic waterbody whose condition is undoubtedly being degraded by the existing human activity within the watershed. Evidence of this degradation can be found - e.g. the high nitrite levels in the Sand Pit Pond, and in the generally elevated phosphorus concentrations found as part of the Conservation Commission's ongoing water quality monitoring program for Great Pond and its tributaries. Great Pond is now used for a variety of recreational purposes. Wading or swimming appears to occur at the principal access point in back of the sand pit off Fowler Road. The pond does afford fishing and hunting opportunities, and its role as a wildlife habitat is important in an increasingly suburban community. While all of these uses would not be threatened by lowered water quality, increased productivity could change the pond from a resource to a nuisance. For example, as algae populations increase, the water becomes in- creasingly unattractive. Potentially, productivity could exacerbate the existing under-ice dissolved oxygen problem and further reduce the already stressed fish population. This, combined with more vegetative matter along the shore would increase undesirable insect populations. Thus, significant adverse consequences are possible. Techniques available to prevent or minimize these consequences include the general resource protection zoning applied to smaller watersheds (as recom- mended previously),stormwater runoff controls, and local plumbing codes to assure adequate sewage disposal. Stormwater runoff controls can and should vary to fit the particular problems identified in each watershed. Where flooding in downstream portions of the basin is of concern, the provision of detention basins or similar facilities to assure hydraulic load control will be all that is needed. However, where bacteria and nutrients are a problem, more comprehensive stormwater abatement techniques are recommended. Recommended bacterial pollution controls in the flowing and tidal waters of Cape Elizabeth should rest on limitations for storm drainage design requiring stormwater release rates and volumes not to exceed those on the undeveloped site. For Great Pond, however, contaminants of concern include nutrients, specif- ically phosphorus and nitrates. Effective removal of these contaminants can best be achieved in an area such as this watershed by utilizing the infiltra- tive capacity of the area to be developed, and by maximizing the contact between the stormwater, which does run off, with soil and vegetation. This can be accomplished by surface drainage in developments where the amount of imper- vious surface is limited to 10 to 15 percent of the site. C-2 "An owner of land has no absolute and unlimited right to change the essential natural character of his land so as to use it for a pur- pose for which it was unsuited in its natural state and which in- jures the rights of others." Excerpted from Just versus Marinette County. DATE DUE GAYLORDINo. 2333 PRIMTEDINU.S.A 3 6668 14106 9429