David Coles Searsport plan, transcribed so one may search it, cut and paste, etc. If you want a searchable pdf of this, let me know. - RH TOWN OF SEARSPORT, MAINE Searsport Economic Development Program 2014-2019 UPDATED AS OF SEPTEMBER, 2014 1.0 Overview The Searsport Economic Development Program is intended to be a flexible working document, designed to not only guide current economic development activities within the community, but also allow for economic development efforts to evolve over time as circumstances and conditions warrant. It provides a framework of activities and initiatives intended to improve economic and living conditions within the community and lay thefoundation for future community and economic development as well. Focus areas and related tasks and activities as envisioned under this program are outlined in Section 4. It is understood that economic development is a long-term endeavor, and that the breadth of activities as presented is ambitious. Components of the program, therefore, will be addressed as time and resources allow and opportunities arise. Given the diverse nature of the work involved, the Town may use existing staff as well as consultants as needed to undertake the necessary planning and implementation of these activities and provide associated support. Recognizing the dynamic nature of the economic development landscape, the Program will undergo a comprehensive review and update at least every five years by the Board of Selectmen to respond to changing needs, opportunities, and current best practices. It is also anticipated that the Program may need to be amended from time to time to address specific needs and opportunities that may surface. The Town recognizes that partnering with private, public, and non-profit organizations is essential to a successful economic development program, as development will most likely occur in Searsport through public and private partnerships and combinations of resources. As such, it is anticipated that Searsport will work closely with various state and federal agencies that are involved in various aspects of business development as well as private utility companies that provide critical support for economic growth. Given that much of the land currently available for economic development in Searsport is owned privately or by the State of Maine, Searsport will work closely withthese entities, while also exploring the availability and development potential of additional land in the community for development as needed. 2.0 Strategic Goals and Vision The goals of the Searsport Economic Development Program are straight forward. The Program seeks to: 1. Retain and Expand Economic opportunities for the people of Searsport through increased local employment and business ownership. 2. Strengthen and stabilize the local tax base to ensure the ongoing provision of quality community services in the years ahead. 3. Maintain and enhance Searsports quality of place which in todays fast changing world is a prerequisite to maintaining both a good standard and quality of living. In terms of desired outcomes, the Searsport Economic Development Program recognizes that economic development is directly based on new business investment in a community and region, as well as indirectly supported through related public investments in transportation, infrastructure, and public services that are essential to growing and attracting both business development and a quality workforce. Searsport will therefore follow a dual-track approach to encourage private investment and job generation in the community, working with state and federal agencies as well as private and public utilities to ensure that the necessary infrastructure, services, and community enhancements are in place to compete for its share of available economic development opportunities, including business investment and tourism spending. It is also understood that business activity comes in many shapes and forms, ranging from small business start-ups to global enterprises and, as in the case of Searsport, covers various economic sectors ranging from manufacturing and distribution to retail and services. Accordingly, the Program seeks to encourage a range of business investments and activities, including new business formation, local business expansion and retention, and attraction of new businesses and investment to the community. It will furthermore seek to attract additional visitors and tourist activity for Searsport, and build support for the local small businesses dependent on the service and tourism sectors as they are an important component of the economic foundation of the community. 3.0 Distinguishing Assets, Comparative Advantages, and Strategic Focus While the goals and anticipated outcomes described above may be typical of the aspirations of many communities, Searsports approach to promoting economic development as outlined below is uniquely tailored to the towns assets and comparative advantages. This reflects the economic reality that a community of 2,600 people may be less likely to succeed if it follows a “cookie-cutter” approach to economic development, as in doing so it would likely be competing against many other communities for in-state opportunities and on a national level would be competing with thousands of other community and regional efforts. As a small community in a relatively small state, Searsport must distinguish itself from the rest of the field to be successful in promoting itself to attract business investment and jobs. Many towns tout their business parks and revolving loan funds and make claims of having a great workforce and quality of life. The economic development literature is generally full of such claims. Fortunately, Searsport does enjoy distinguishing assets that sets it apart: its prime coastal location and well positioned and equipped harbor. These defining assets are important in at least three significant ways in terms of economic development potential. First, Searsports coastal location on Route 1 is the foundation of its tourist business. The town is strategically situated on Route 1 between the Bar Harbor/Acadia National Park region and the major population centers of the eastern United States located to the south. It competes with other communities along the Maine coast for its share of the “bridge” traffic coming to and from Bar Harbor in addition to its own “destination” traffic originating in Maine and beyond. It is clearly in the towns best interest to work with businesses and attractions downtown and along the Route 1 corridor to promote Searsport as a destination for shopping, lodging, dining, recreation and services, and pursue any needed downtown and corridor improvements that would enhance those experiences. It should also be pointed out that Searsports central location on the Route 1 corridor and deep water harbor provides additional potential for commercial opportunities in marine-related industries such as boat-building, marine construction, and related services. For example, Hamilton Marine, Maines largest marine parts and products supplier, began activities in a garage in Searsport and today has four additional stores along the Maine coast and boasts an online catalog that sells around the world. Second, Searsport is also strategically located within Maines freight transport system with both deep water access and excellent inland connections. Its port is part of Maines “three-port strategy” which goes back over 30 years and helps guide inter-modal freight investments and logistics development in the state. The Mack Point Terminal in Searsport is located at the southern terminus of the Central Maine and Quebec Railway (formerly the MMA Railway system) which can provide double-stack rail capacity all the way to Montreal and can use Mack Point as a “marine bridge” to transport products to and from markets around the world. Searsports easterly location within the US provides closer proximity to Europe and to southern Asia via the Suez Canal, particularly for goods destined to and from the Midwest. Searsport is also located relatively close to Bangor (only 30 miles to the north) which serves as the transportation, commercial, and communications hub for the northern two-thirds of the state. The Bangor hub includes Interstate 95, several other state highways, and the junction of CMQR and Pan Am Railways at Northern Maine Junction in nearby Hermon (with a direct rail connection to Searsport). The Maritime Natural Gas Pipeline runs through Bangor and has the potential to connect to Searsport via the former Loring Air Force Base oil pipeline which runs from Searsport to Limestone. The Bangor region is also a major hub for government, business, and education services and encompasses a substantial workforce. Also strategic to Searsport is its proximity to Bangors International Airport. Business activity in this country tends to gravitate to areas with scheduled air services In order to accommodate commercial travel and to attract workers who want to maintain family connections and travel options. Being located beyond an hours car ride to a hub airport of any size is often considered a major obstacle to business attraction in the economic development arena. Business logistics and locational attributes matter because since the earliest days of civilization economic development has followed the most readily available trade routes. Generating additional freight movements through Searsport will create jobs for the businesses involved in the transport of these goods and will likely attract production and service activities that can benefit from the available transportation options and related efficiencies. Related spending, including payrolls, will directly benefit the local community in the form of purchased goods and services. From there, growth will also result from the “clustering effect.” Those businesses shipping their goods via Searsport (local or from away) may be candidates for building warehouses, distribution, and manufacturing facilities in Searsport given its location within their supply chain. Additional transport related services may well also follow as trade and freight traffic increases. New freight-sensitive businesses may also choose to expand or locate for the similar reasons. Finally, the attractiveness of the Maine coast will tend to attract people who want to live in that sort of environment and have jobs or businesses that give them the mobility and choices to live where they want. These “lone eagles” are often a product of the “creative economy” that has emerged in the United States in recent years, particularly with the advent of the internet and broadband services. The combination of coastal access, broadband, and Bangor International Airport makes the northern mid-coast region a candidate for entrepreneurs who bring their business with them and in many cases grow them and employ other people. In summary, the Searsport Economic Development Program is intended to be first and foremost an “asset-based” or bottom-up approach, leveraging the communitys key assets, rather than employing a “me too” strategy of pursuing trendy industry targets. It focuses on industry clusters that make sense for Searsport, such as tourism, marine industries, the “creative economy,” and shipping-dependent businesses that can benefit from Searsports strategic location at the nexus of overseas marine trade routes and inland connections to the heart of Maine, Canada, Midwest, and beyond. 4.0 Program Focus Areas and Related Tasks Economic development activities under the Searsport Economic Development Program include, but are not limited to, the overall oversight and administration of the economic development program, and the planning and implementation of activities and initiatives as outlined below: 4.1 Support Start-up, Growth, and Retention of Local Businesses Many successful economic development efforts focus both on “organic” development from within as well as new investment from outside the community. As such, the Town will reach out to existing businesses of all types, large and small, to help ensure that their needs are being met and that Searsport is providing a good climate for business growth. The local business community currently covers activities ranging from retail and services, culture heritage activities (e.g. Penobscot Marine Museum), recreation, food and lodging, transportation, and logistics, and manufacturing, among others. These businesses are dependent on the local and regional population, destination and passthrough traffic, as well as markets located well beyond the Searsport region. In addition to direct business investment and related activity, economic development is achieved through travel and tourism, Maines largest industry sector. Tourism is actually an “export” industry, as it brings in revenues from outside the region in payment of local services provided, generating a greater multiplier effect than generally results from purely local trade. Accordingly, it is in the Towns economic interest to help ensure a quality tourism product, to include a vibrant mix of goods and services, to public amenities and attractions that enhance the visitors experience in Maines mid-coast location. Searsports downtown serves as the village center and serves as the calling card of the community. With the upcoming Route 1 project in design at Maine DOT, it would benefit Searsport to use the state highway project as leverage in addressing any needed local improvements in coordination with the Maine DOT project such as utility relocations and signage changes. The Town should, through its economic development program, continue to pursue both state and federal funding to complement Town and private efforts in redeveloping the downtown area. Town activities carried out under the Searsport Economic Development Program to assist local businesses, the tourist sector, and downtown development include but may not be limited to: a) Conducting outreach activities focused on local businesses and business groups to ascertain needs and opportunities; b) Acting as liaison between the small business community and resource providers to better connect them with agencies such as FAME, USDA, SBA, CEI, and EMDC; c) Identifying and addressing local issues affecting business growth; d) Convening workshops on small business-related issues in partnership with area banks and other resource providers; e) Providing support under a local revolving loan fund which would include microloans targeted at expanding, new, and early stage businesses located within the Town of Searsport; f) Working with the Towns tourist industry and Maines tourism promotion agencies to help ensure Searsports role and presence; g) Providing matching funds for facade improvements in partnership with downtown property owners; h) Addressing signage issues in partnership with the Maine DOT to ensure travelers get to their Searsport destinations in a time-efficient manner; i) Addressing infrastructure and enhancement needs in the downtown area (utility relocations for example) and the Route 1 corridor; j) Pursuing state and federal funding programs to help underwrite necessary infrastructure improvements and enhancements; Assisting Searsport businesses or business prospects in accessing state and federal assistance programs such as Tax Increment Financing, Pine Tree Zone programs, and other state and federal programs to help facilitate their growth. 4.2 Attract New Businesses and Investment to Searsport The Town will coordinate with other state and private entities to market the community for new business investment including start-ups, expansion, and business attraction activities. Given Searsports unique location and transportation assets, a close working relationship is anticipated with Sprague Energy, Central Maine and Quebec Railway, Maine Port Authority, and the Maine DOT, as these transportation organizations share a common goal with the Town of increasing economic activity at the Port of Searsport and securing freight-dependent businesses and related investment. A coordinated effort maximizes available resources and provides the town with cost-effective access to business prospects that may be considering locations for a new warehouse, distribution facility, or value-added activities such as manufacturing and assembly. In addition to port oriented development, Searsport will also pursue other business targets that can take advantage of the towns location and attributes. Targets may include (but are not limited to) other marine-related activities such as boat building, marine construction, and marine services, building on Searsports location, marine tradition, and harbor assets. Searsport may also be attractive for other activities that value a mid-coast location with close proximity and connectivity with the regional hub of Bangor. It should be noted that the state development agencies to a large extent depend on local organizations to define targets, to develop strategies, identify local needs, and respond to specific opportunities. Accordingly, it is important that Searsport build this capacity to work effectively with other stakeholders, as success in economic development requires a strong local partner and a grassroots initiative. Marketing activities related to business attraction activities shall include but are not limited to: a) Identifying industrial targets for recruitment purposes through market research; b) Preparation and production of appropriate marketing materials; c) Compilation and maintenance of supporting databases (workforce, sites, services, permitting, incentives and assistance, etc,); d) Construction and maintenance of a website promoting Searsport for business attraction purposes; e) Selective advertising such as cooperative pieces with DECD and Maine and Company; f) Coordination with private, regional, state, and other economic development partners; g) Sales calls and related travel to meet with business prospects; h) Attend trade shows and conferences as appropriate; i) Prospect handling, proposal preparation, and packaging of incentives and assistance; and j) Other administrative and support activities related to the overall marketing effort. In addition tot he inventory of business sites as described in 4.4, the Town will use this and other base information to prepare a “prospectus” for Searsport (available in print and online) that will serve as an attractive marketing piece to communicate the unique features and opportunities associated with Searsport and the Port of Searsport. 4.3 Promote Searsport as a Freight Port and Intermodal Center From an economic development standpoint, Searsports deep-water port is its most distinguishing economic asset, yet there is currently no centralized local effort to promote traffic at the port and to leverage this strategic asset and its connectivity for new investment and job creation. Several parties are involved in marketing aspects of the port, such as Sprague Energy which operates the Mack Point Terminal and owns over 50 acres of adjacent real estate; the new Central Maine and Quebec Railway which has its southern terminus at Mack Point and owns land and a rail yard within the port as well; and GAC Chemical which is located at Kidder Point and has over 100 acres of land available on the CMQR line that could be attractive for freight-oriented movement. These are valuable potential partners in a coordinated development effort and all would welcome an increased role on the part of the Town. The Maine Port Authority and Maine DOT promote Searsport as part of Maines three port strategy. Their role is primarily centered on infrastructure planning and development and securing the state and federal assistance needed to underwrite port and rail improvements. Maine DOT also has 330 acres set aside on Sears Island for marine transportation-related activities which become available as Mack Point becomes fully utilized. Maine DOT and MPA, while valuable partners in port development, are for the most part focused on the transportation aspects of economic development and largely defer business development and related promotion to state, regional, and local entities. For example, the Eastport Port Authority, an instrumentality of the City of Eastport created by the Legislature over 30 years ago, plays the principal marketing and coordinating role for the Port of Eastport. While the day-to-day operations of the port are handled by a contracted party, the Port Authority employs an Executive Director who is constantly seeking new cargo opportunities for the port, related business development opportunities, and state and federal assistance to promote and enhance the capabilities of the port. The Town of Searsport is in the position to help fill this gap and play a coordinating role in marketing, promoting, and developing the “Port of Searsport.” This would include but not be limited to the following activities: 1. Working with stakeholders to promote expanded cargo activity at the Port; 2. Per section 4.2, working with stakeholders to market Searsport for freight-related business development such as manufacturing, distribution, and services; 3. Advocating at the state and federal levels for resources and assistance in building the capacity of port facilities and inland connections in Searsport; 4. Exploring the feasibility of establishing a federal Free Trade Zone designation. 4.4 Ensure availability of Suitable Business Sites and Supporting Infrastructure New investment in plant and equipment requires suitable sites that can meet business needs in a functional, economic, and timely manner. It is difficult to market a community without detailed information on available sites, since businesses looking to invest are generally operating on a fast-track and those communities without information are generally left behind. A key objective of the Searsport Economic Development Program will be to ensure on an ongoing basis that suitable and fully-serviced sites are available for business startup, expansion,and general attraction purposes. The first step in this process will be to inventory existing sites for business development purposes, including availability, owner intentions, terms of sale and/or lease, zoning and permitting details, and supporting information about infrastructure including but not limited to the availability of water, sewer, communications, electric power, transportation (rail, highway, etc.) and natural gas. At present, the Town of Searsport does not have a municipal industrial park. However, there are private and state landowners (Maine DOT) with significant land holdings in and around the community, including the port and railway system that are candidates for development. The purpose of the inventory would be to identify the makeup and adequacy of these existing business sites (regardless of ownership) relative to the needs of target industries, to identify any deficiencies in the supporting of infrastructure and services. Based on this initial inventory, the Town will devise strategies for addressing infrastructure and service needs for readily needed to meet the needs of targeted industries (e.g. boat building) and establish a comprehensive inventory of sites. It should be noted that it is not assumed that the Town would need to build an industrial park, as available land held by other parties in the community is significant. The need for a municipality-sponsored industrial park may be out in the future, if at all, depending on existing site availability, specific industry needs, and absorption rates. There may, however, be opportunities for the Town to partner with private owners to market fully-serviced sites and use its municipal status to seek state and federal grants in support of such efforts. There may also be strategically located niche properties where the Towns direct involvement may make sense, including possible acquisition and development. An initial area for this type of development would be around Mack Point and Kidder point, but additional properties should also be studied particularly in the vicinity of Route 1. Work elements in addition to the site inventory may include: 1. Developing recommendations for changes to the local zoning ordinance and comprehensive plan as appropriate; 2. Pursuing state and federal grants for infrastructure needs to support business development and other economic development needs; 3. Acquisition of property and property rights to support business development; 4. Working with private utilities to ensure adequate and optimal access to energy and communications services, including natural gas. (End of David Coles Searsport paper)
Posted on: Sat, 22 Nov 2014 20:06:11 +0000
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