Hebron discusses comprehensive plan

HEBRON — It has been more than two decades since the town has discussed a comprehensive plan, said selectmen at their meeting Monday.

They said the topic recently resurfaced and they are hoping to solicit opinions from residents about whether the town could benefit from such a plan with a series of public hearings. 

A public hearing has been scheduled for November 19 at 7 p.m. for the planning board to discuss the possibility of a comprehensive plan, said Selectman Dan Eichorn. 

He said the planning board had a hearing last week to discuss a potential plan. While there wasn't as big of a turnout the town had hoped, the meeting was fairly productive. 

He said the November 19 hearing will give the public another chance to solicit opinions about a comprehensive plan as well as educate those about how the town could benefit from one. 

"It's just talking about, if we were going to do it, how we would do it, when would we do it, and what are the costs," Eichorn said. 

Eichorn said if the town decides to have a comprehensive plan it would need to be put on the warrant and go in front of voters at town meeting in March. 

The last time a comprehensive plan went in front of the town was in 1991, Eichorn explained. He said the town learned that to make a comprehensive plan happen, it would take an ample amount of time and money. 

Chairman Dick Deans said voters were not educated enough about what the plan entailed and did not support the plan's inclusion of a zoning ordinance.

"Now, you can elect to have the zoning, but don't have to have it, either," Deans explained. 

"From people's recollections from '91, it seemed the big bugaboo people had about it [the plan] was they didn't want to have zoning," said Eichorn, which is no longer required. 

Eichorn said with a comprehensive plan the town would have a better chance at qualifying for grants than without one.  He also said it would act as a guide for selectmen in making future decisions. 

"It would have guiding principles, goals for the town, as opposed to having a bunch of rules," Eichorn said. 

He said Hebron is one of four towns in Oxford County that does not have a comprehensive plan.