21st Century Downtown Plan
 

Recipient of the 2014 Association of Planners Award for Plan of the Year!

On January 22nd, 2013, the Windham Town Council adopted the North Windham 21st Century Downtown Plan.  A copy of the adopted plan can be downloaded from this page. Paper copies can be requested from the Planning Department for a reproduction fee of $5.

 
The North Windham 21st Century Downtown Master Plan is both a practical and bold vision for the future of North Windham.  In summary, the goals of this Master Plan are to:
  
  • Develop a comprehensive vision for transportation improvements in North Windham
  • Improve the capacity of Roosevelt Trail
  • Introduce street networks in an incremental manner that respond to the existing built context and allow for the growth of new neighborhoods surrounding the commercial core
  • Incubate a range of economic development and housing opportunities
  • Establish a renewed "sense of place" in Windham's commercial center through Complete Streets, infill development, increased residential densities, vibrant public realms, mobility options and access to open space
  • Focus on implementation by identifying short-term and long-term improvements and policies

Making it Happen – Shaping Future Development  
 

The Town is working on changes to the zoning code for North Windham, so that future development occurs in ways that are consistent with the vision outlined in the 21st Century Plan.  These changes will have an impact on the types of homes and businesses allowed in North Windham, how new buildings will look and where they should be located on the property in relation to roads and streets, the amount and location of parking for each building, and more.    

Making it Happen - Ordinance Changes


The Town Council has been reviewing the draft Character Based Code (CBC) developed for North Windham along with alternative ordinance changes that incorporate some of the highest impact components of a CBC into our existing zoning framework.  The alternative presented could be used as a temporary ordinance patch to give both town staff and North Windham property owners a greater understanding of the shift in thinking required to regulate and develop within the framework of a CBC.

Draft CBC – click here

Draft alternative changes - click here 
 
The Town Council adopted the alternative changes for the C-1 and C-2 Districts on June 12, 2018.  See these changes in the current version of the Land Use Ordinance Section 400. 

For more information or to sign up for the project e-mail list, please contact Amanda Lessard at (207) 894-5900, x6121, or allessard@windhammaine.us.

     

Making it Happen – Engineering Public Improvements  
The Preliminary Plans finalized in the Summer of 2016 call for sidewalks, pedestrian improvements at intersections like crosswalks and push to cross buttons, and access management involving the narrowing and closing of some entrances and medians.  These improvements are within the public rights-of-way for Roosevelt Trail (Route 302) from River Road to Whites Bridge Road and Tandberg Trail (Routes 115 and 35) from Basin Road to Collins Pond Road.  

The Town is currently working on funding options to complete the Final Design and Construction of the improvements outlined in the Preliminary Plans.  Funding options included:

The Preliminary Design Plans (linked below) have been shaped by input received at three public workshops from December 2015 to May 2016 and many individual meetings with property and business owners in North Windham.

Preliminary Design Report May 2016
      
Roosevelt Trail from River Road to Boody's Corner - Sheets 1-7
Roosevelt Trail from Boody's Corner to Whites Bridge Road - Sheets 7-16
Tandberg Trail from Basin Road to Collins Pond - Sheets 17-21 

Phasing Plan Summary April 2018

Adaptive Traffic Signals February 2020

Route 35 Sidewalk (Basin Road to Route 302) Completed October 2020

A number of the Engineering Design Recommendations have been included in the North Windham Moves plan.