The Town council will hold a public hearing on a draft comprehensive plan on Monday, Sept. 10, at 7:30 p.m. in the Town Hall chamber.

Nearly two years in the making, the draft plan will update the current comprehensive plan adopted in 1993. The plan serves as a guide for development in Cape Elizabeth, and includes recommendations for the community's economic development, housing, recreation and open space, transportation, community facilities and land use - all related to the community's goals and objectives.

The Comprehensive Plan Committee, appointed in August 2005, held dozens of meetings, held three public forums and conducted a extensive telephone survey.

The first of the plan's 14 chapters, demographics, lays out a basis of information for subsequent chapters. The final chapter addresses land use. Each chapter includes goals, and a total of 88 implementation steps.

"Overall, the implementation steps continue the current direction of the town, but also confidently step forward into the 21st century with new vigor in carefully considered policies," according to the plan's executive summary.

"This Comprehensive Plan renews its commitment to land use policies that protect natural resources and promote affordable housing, and to good government policies that provide quality educational and public services while striving for cost savings, efficiencies, and regional sharing when practical.

"The plan also infuses greater commitment to preserving agricultural lands and to clustering lots in order to preserve open space," according to the summary.

Text of the draft plan, as well as links to background information and previous news articles, can be found on this Web site.