Reviewing Bangor’s plans and regulations to ensure development along the Penobscot River occurs as expected makes sense. A 90-day moratorium, which city councilors currently are considering, isn’t likely to make much difference, but if it spurs a needed review and consideration of what the city needs to do to turn its visions of the waterfront into reality, it will have been helpful.

Last month, City Councilor Richard Stone proposed the 90-day moratorium so officials could ensure they have the proper standards in place to ensure development that occurs between the river and Main Street from downtown to Interstate 395 matches the city’s vision for that area.

The council appears receptive to the idea and referred the issue to its Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for further consideration at its Aug. 7 meeting.

The city’s vision is contained in its waterfront master plan. The document, which includes a beautiful rendition of what the riverfront could look like, reads more like a wish list than a plan. Its to-do list includes attracting developers, but is short on details over how this would be done.

The plan envisions a mix of restaurant, hotel, residential and commercial space. It also sets aside more than half the 36 acres of city-owned land, including a milelong stretch of riverfront, as public open space. Councilor Stone’s concerns have more to do with what happens with the privately owned land near the river.

The city-owned land, much of which is vacant, is covered by waterfront zoning, which sets minimum development standards. The private property is mostly zoned downtown development and general, commercial and service district, which generally have lower standards. It is fair to ask whether this is appropriate or whether a single zoning standard should apply to an area that the city has, through extensive improvements, deemed a critical part of its future development.

This could also ensure that one type of development near the waterfront does not preclude another that may take longer but is higher on the city’s list of priorities for the area. The idea, Councilor Stone says, is to consider the whole puzzle and ensure that all the pieces fit together.

These issues aren’t likely to be fully resolved in 90 days (actually less because the moratorium would be retroactive to when Councilor Stone proposed it, on July 17), but the review would give city staff and councilors a better idea of what changes, if any, need to be made. Any changes to city zoning or planning documents would require further council action, which would likely include public hearings.

The moratorium and the accompanying review are welcome ideas.