Can you hear it?

This spring's growing chorus of area town officials talking comprehensive plans means at least three things: If the towns commit to the reviews, massive work awaits; that work will be worth it if townspeople respond widely to the surveys and to calls for volunteers; and a low response to either will devalue the updated plans and risk voters' rejection.

So how to accomplish the buy-in that makes a plan worth more than the paper it's printed on?

If only towns could market the project as a coming attraction: Coming soon to a committee near you: Nights of reading, drafting and more. If that doesn’t have them lined up at the door, how about a name change to just town plan or, if that doesn’t fly with the state, give it a nickname for local use only: "Comp plan: the sequel," or "#whatnow" come to mind. Avoid "Comp plan unplugged" as potentially polarizing.

Be subtle and, if needed, subliminal: Wolverine red and black trim on the survey; committee and subcommittee signup sheets with a translucent image of the waterfront. And on the rotating message board at the Wiscasset municipal building, in smaller letters within or between announcements, flash “Return the survey.”

Or have officials periodically clear their throats while saying "Return the survey” during selectmen's meetings, or at the supermarket.

Finally, start a fad: the comp plan dance, one so silly it’s cool. Localize the moves, like Wiscasset’s “the bottleneck” – hands on an imaginary steering wheel with alternating looks at one’s wristwatch; and in Alna, "the handcar," in homage to Wiscasset, Waterville & Farmington Railway Museum.

Updated comp plans might look much like the old ones, some might reflect a shift or fall somewhere between. Participation by the many will help ensure any plan is its best.