2025 Comprehensive Plan
2025 Sorrento Comprehensive Plan
Revised Draft of Plan has been submitted to State
The Sorrento Comprehensive Plan Committee worked with the Hancock County Planning Commission to complete another round of revisions on the draft Comprehensive Plan. Following the public meeting held on February 18, the committee reviewed feedback from the community survey and incorporated that input into updates to the Future Land Use chapter.
The revised chapter has been resubmitted to the State of Maine for review along with materials that were not included in the original draft. The State is taking public comments until May 22 as it reviews the updated materials and determines whether the plan is complete and consistent with Maine’s Growth Management requirements. See Public Notice for details.
Following the State’s consistency determination, the Town will proceed with the final local steps in the adoption process. This will include a public hearing and, ultimately, a town vote to consider adoption of the plan. Dates and times for these meetings will be announced once the State’s review is complete.
Revised Future Land Use Materials
Revised Plan and State Consistency Determination Process
After a draft Comprehensive Plan is submitted to the State, the Municipal Planning Assistance Program conducts a formal review to determine whether the plan is complete and consistent with statutory requirements.
As part of this process, the State issues a written consistency memo. The memo linked below represents Sorrento’s initial consistency review. Pages 2–3 identify required elements that were missing or did not meet State standards. These items must be addressed before the plan can be found complete and consistent. The remainder of the memo includes comments and suggestions from State agencies. These are advisory and not required for approval.
It is not uncommon for plans to receive an initial finding of inconsistency. The State review is structured to provide clear direction on what must be corrected, and many communities go through at least one revision cycle. The process to address comments is typically straightforward.
In Sorrento’s case, several items identified as inconsistent were related to how required strategies were written. The Committee aimed to tailor strategies to local conditions, but the State requested more direct alignment with statutory language. Other comments were related to topics that are not applicable to Sorrento, such as Tax Increment Financing districts. These types of comments are a routine part of the review process.
The revised plan addresses all required items identified in the State’s determination and incorporates relevant suggested feedback from State agencies. The updated materials have been resubmitted for final review.
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The Sorrento Comprehensive Plan is the product of a three-year community effort to understand Sorrento as it exists now and to articulate a long-term vision for its future. The plan provides guidance for the town as it seeks to build on its strengths, address its management challenges, increase its capacity, and respond to anticipated changes. In addition, the comprehensive plan is required for the town to be eligible for certain State programs, grants, and loans.
The comprehensive plan is intended to be a clear statement of the town’s values, collective vision, and future goals. It is meant to inform and guide the town as it makes management and planning decisions. The plan is not legally binding and creates no requirement, regulation, or ordinance of any kind. The expectation is that any recommendations or proposals contained in the plan will be given further consideration through the normal town public decision-making process. Any additional land use regulations need to be carefully considered, specific to identified community concerns, and have extensive public engagement.
