Aerial photo courtesy of MXH Marketing
Farmers’ market photo courtesy of Jonathan Wheaton Photography
In 2015-16 Main Street led a community-wide, collaborative process to craft a strategic plan for Skowhegan. The plan’s ultimate goal is to make Skowhegan a thriving economic, cultural, and recreational destination where residents enjoy a high quality of life.
You can find the official plan here: Skowhegan Strategic Plan for Community Transformation
There is also an abridged version of the strategic plan for those who prefer just the highlights.
Thank you to all who provided input throughout this process. Your feedback has been invaluable, and your help will continue to be vital in reaching our goal.
Are you excited about taking action and implementing the plan? Let us know! You can reach us at info@mainstreetskowhegan.org.
Help us implement the strategic plan by making a donation today!
More About Our Strategic Plan
It’s our hope that by engaging all interested parties in this process we’ll foster enthusiasm and engender a sense of ownership among residents. The strategic plan will not just sit on a shelf. Rather, it includes innovative strategies for economic and community development, and it articulates projects and initiatives for Skowhegan—specific action steps to excite and inspire our community.
Main Street Skowhegan Strategic Plan Goals
The final plan:
Includes innovative strategies for economic and community development for the entire town of Skowhegan, not just the downtown.- Articulates immediate, mid-range, and long-term projects and initiatives and a timeline for completion.
- Provides action steps for accelerating the great things currently happening in Skowhegan.
- Reflects resources currently available and identifies future resource needs required for implementation.
- Incorporates Skowhegan’s rich cultural and recreational assets.
- Identifies areas for increased collaboration within the community.
- Reinforces Skowhegan’s brand.
As we implement the plan we will continue to:
- Engage community members, business owners, town officials, organizations, and other interested parties to gather advice and ideas.
- Incorporate feedback from the Skowhegan TIF Oversight Committee to shape strategies and tactics for economic development.
- Provide data and insight to aid SCPC in cultural planning for Somerset County.
- Include all voices to ensure that everyone is heard.
- Foster community ownership and buy-in.
- Provide updates about the process via email and MainStreetSkowhegan.org.
Timeline and Process
On May 10, 2016, the Main Street Skowhegan Strategic Planning Committee sent the first draft of the plan to the community via email and posted it to the Main Street Skowhegan Facebook page. The committee also presented the plan to the town at a public hearing. At the hearing and until May 27, the committee welcomed feedback. All suggestions, edits, and comments were taken into consideration, and updates were made accordingly. The final plan was sent to the town on May 29, 2016, in advance of the annual town meeting scheduled for June 13, 2016. At the town meeting, the community voted to officially adopt the plan.
