The Maine Office of Community Development has chosen nine rural municipalities for planning grants of $10,000 each to help improve services for residents.

Michael Baron, the office’s acting director, said that the funds are not for any “brick and mortar” work but will be used for architectural and engineering studies on the feasibility of the proposals for each town.

In Washington County, Milbridge will receive funds to look at a development for migrant farmworker housing, and Lubec plans to use the award to update and revise its comprehensive plan.

The Milbridge nonprofit Mano en Mano has an option to buy a 5-acre parcel on Wyman Road, and executive director Anais Tomezsko says the organization is applying to the USDA for construction money and mortgage funding. If the planning grant wins approval, she said, “We hope to go to contract in September” and begin building six housing units – three with two bedrooms, three with three – by next spring.

The Aroostook County town of Wallagrass will study downtown improvement ideas for the revitalization of Soldier Pond Village, while Fort Kent’s grant will go toward a water system plan and Van Buren’s a sewer inflow study.

In Kennebec County, Monmouth proposes to get cost estimates for a “facilities plan” for the existing theater, according to Baron. The town of Fayette will study improvements to the local library, including work for handicapped accessibility.

The Piscataquis County community of Milo plans to look at downtown revitalization, and Penobscot County’s Stacyville will use the planning grant for an elderly housing study, Baron said.