PHILLIPS -- "You'd better know what you have. Phillips is a gem, a beautiful area." Don't take a chance and delay enacting a new subdivision ordinance because who knows what's coming and it's not necessarily going to be good.

Comments such as these from Matt Sharp, of Phillips, helped convince voters at a special town meeting last week that they should adopt the ordinance, which had not been updated since 1976, over 40 years ago.

Many present favored making amendments to the ordinance, but Charles Wilbur, serving as moderator of the special town meeting last week, pointed out, it was "all or nothing." The ordinance had to be voted in or rejected in total. The town meeting was not the place to make amendments. Law stipulates the town to adopt or reject the proposed ordinance.

Finding that was the case, many suggested delaying enacting the ordinance so that the planning board could consider amendments being suggested. That delay could have resulted in the ordinance not being back to town meeting for another year.

The new ordinance brings the subdivision rules into conformance with state standards as well as more in tune with the revised Comprehensive Plan. The planning board has been working on revisions for over a year, and a public hearing last January only attracted one person, in contrast to the special town meeting which had over 20 people present. A special town meeting had been tentatively scheduled in June, but was cancelled due to the town's shutdown.

Elaine Hubbard, chair of the planning board, pointed out the board had sought public input throughout the revision process, and while the board welcomes input and can make revisions into the new ordinance which would have to go before town meeting to be enacted, it would not be a top priority because the planning board has a very busy slate, including being mandated by the state to revise the shoreland zoning ordinance that also must go before town meeting for approval before July 2009.

John Mahoney, senior land use planning for the Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments, who assisted the board in revising the ordinance, was tasked with answering most of the public's questions which included expanding notification of nearby residents, minimum lot provisions, and making it mandatory versus optional to hold a public hearing on final plans.

Dane Trafton, who retired to Tory Hill after having lived a number of places throughout the country, pointed out he looked all over New England to find a place like Phillips. "We've got a rare bird here. It isn't going to last forever." Sharp added, "It's a great concern that a Plum Creek (huge development) will come in... The town can't afford to wait another 12 months operating with outdated laws."

Code Enforcement Office Katherine Shoaps also pointed out it would be detrimental to the town to delay implementing the ordinance because it is a step in the right direction, and "ordinances like this are always a work in progress."

After about an hour of discussion, the town meeting voted with two dissenters to adopt the ordinance.

The ordinance sets out road construction standards, utility regulations, site plan requirements, a new fee structure, lot specifications, abutter notifications, and outlines the necessary process for review. All subdivision plans must go before the planning board for approval. Any lot that is divided three times within a five-year period is considered a subdivision. Most subdivisions in Phillips historically have been small, but with increasing land prices in Rangeley and other areas, town officials believe Phillips should be prepared and have laws in place to deal with the possibility of larger subdivision requests.