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AVCOG has established an industry standard GIS network. This database
includes geographic base data at the town, regional and state levels
and is used to support planning projects, transportation studies,
economic development and spatial analysis. Base maps of roads, 911,
natural resources and shoreland zoning are available for all member
towns. Copies may be obtained by contacting Barb Fortier, bfortier@avcog.org.
We can also develop digital copies that can be displayed through
our web site or your own site. Web site work is done at our cost.
GIS/Mapping services beyond base maps are available to member communities
upon request and are usually completed on a fee-for-service basis.
Typical projects have included:
- Development of municipal base maps
- Industrial site location maps and analysis
- Aquifer protection maps
- Regional census data displays
- Road inventory and improvement displays
A sample of some of our current projects include:
AVCOG
Tri-County Region Map
ATRC
Area Base Maps
The following town maps are available through the links below.
Town
of Lisbon - Land Use and Zoning
Town
of Norway - Property Parcels Map
Town
of Paris - Property Parcels Map
Information and Directions for Use of Maps:
General Information: The maps are best viewed and used over
a high speed Internet connection. A GIS, or Geographical Information
System, places maps into a digital system with coordinates that
translate to real locations on the face of the earth. Therefore,
multiple features can be mapped and placed together using appropriate
software. Additionally, a GIS allows us to connect data to the map
so that information for most map features can be obtained by selecting
the feature on the map. Care must be taken in using the GIS. There
are technological and human limitations.
Examples of information on town maps include: roads, lakes, streams,
aquifers, wetlands, waterfowl habitat, and property parcels.
Origin of Maps: The majority of information contained on
the town maps was developed using information obtained from the
Maine Office of GIS Web site (http://apollo.ogis.state.me.us).
Property parcel maps were digitized by AVCOG from existing town
tax maps.
Property Parcel Map Limitations: Because most town tax maps
were developed from uncontrolled aerial photography, they do not
match the more closely controlled OGIS maps. The tax maps go through
a process of Arubber sheeting or stretching so that they will more
closely match the OGIS maps, but this process is far from perfect.
The rubber sheeting process also means that the maps no longer mirror
the hard copy tax maps found at the town office; the size of the
parcel and lot line lengths will vary somewhat. However, the attached
information concerning the owner and valuation will be the same
as in the tax records. The alignment of the tax map layer should
not be relied on for other than planning purposes.
Property Parcel Data: The property parcel data includes
map and lot number, owner name and address, area in both acres (acres)
and hectares (area), and assessed values, taxes, and exemptions.
The area information is for the Arubber sheeted parcels and is not
exactly the same as the hard copy tax map or deed.
Scale and Use of Maps: The OGIS Web site contains information
on the scale at which all layers except Zoning (including shoreland
zoning) and the tax maps were developed. Caution must be taken in
using any of the information at smaller scales (scales that make
the information appear larger than the scale at which it was mapped).
Relating tax maps and zoning information to the base information
and natural resources information obtained from OGIS must also be
done with caution. The maps are for planning and preliminary assessment
purposes. They do not replace field work as the final determinant
in locating natural resources.
Directions: GIS connects data to the location or features
on a map. Each category of features, for example wetlands or property
parcels, is on a separate layer. Next to the map there is a list
of the layers. To display a layer on the map, it must be checked
in the left box in front of its name. Checking the box on the right
in front of each layer allows you to obtain data that is connected
to the features in that layer. After you check all the layers that
you want displayed and one that you want to query, click on the
"Update Map From Legend" box to update the layers that
are displayed and available to query for information. We suggest
that you check as few layers as is convenient; that will reduce
the time it takes to regenerate the map. Also, only check the right
hand box for the layer that you want to query, which reduces the
potential to select features from other layers that are of less
interest.
The map appears very small on the screen. There are seven buttons
directly under it, which have the following functions:
First button to left (Reset): Displays the entire town after
zooming.
Second button: Recenters the map on the site at which you place
the cursor arrow and click.
Third button (+): Zooms into an area. Click on this button and
then use the cross hairs to draw a rectangle around the area that
you want to zoom to, or click the cross hair at the center of
the area of interest and the map will zoom into the area. You
can keep clicking until you get the area to the size you want.
Fourth button (-): Zoom out from an area. Click on this button
and then click the cross hair on the area that you want at the
center of the zoomed out area. Each time you click, the map will
zoom out a fixed amount.
Fifth button (i): Identify button. Allows you to obtain data
about a feature. Click on this button and then move the cursor
to the feature for which you want to obtain data. Click on the
feature. Make sure that both the left and right boxes are checked
for the layer for which you want to obtain data. A pop-up box
appears with the data. You can scroll through the box to find
the information that you want.
Sixth button (Find): Allows you to find features by entering
certain characteristics. A menu box will pop up; in the top selection
box, use the drop down list to designate the layer that you want
to obtain information about. In the far left box in the second
row, from the drop down list, select the type of information that
you are looking for. In the middle box, select an operation that
you want to perform. In the right box, type in what you are looking
for (this is case sensitive and must be an exact match). In the
bottom box, select a label type (we suggest using the same label
selection as in the far left box). The map will then appear with
the information highlighted and labeled. Example: To find a piece
of property owned by a person, say Mary Smith, we suggest using
this "Find" function as follows. Select Property Parcels
as the layer in the top box, select Owner in the left box, select
contains in the middle box, and because you will not know whether
the property is registered to Mary E. Smith, Mary and John Smith,
etc. type in SMITH in the right box. Select Owner under labels;
then select Search. A pop up screen will show a list of all properties
owned by any people with the name of Smith and a map will appear
with each parcel highlighted and labeled with the owner's name.
Enlarge the new map and use the zoom function to find the parcel
you are looking for.
Seventh button (Clear map): Use this button to clear labels or
selected features from the map after conducting a find.
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