State regulators will return to Greenville this Saturday for the last scheduled public hearing on one of the largest and most controversial development plans in state history.

More than a thousand people turned out during the Land Use Regulation Commission’s three previous public hearings on the housing and resort developments proposed for Plum Creek Timber Co. land within the Moosehead Lake region.

The final public comment period will be held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday at Greenville High School. Doors will open at 9 a.m.

As with previous hearings, LURC staff will give each speaker a numbered ticket upon arrival and, throughout the day, will rotate among supporters, opponents and those without a firm position. Speakers will be limited to three minutes each, but the record will stay open for written comments.

A smaller than anticipated crowd of about 250 people attended the Dec. 1 hearing in Greenville, prompting some to suggest many residents preferred to wait for the second hearing.

Plum Creek’s proposal for 975 house lots and two large resorts near Moosehead has prompted intense, statewide debate about how to breathe new economic life into Maine’s scenic but hardscrabble North Woods.

Supporters claim the planned growth and accompanying conservation – encompassing more than 400,000 acres – will produce new jobs and tax revenues while protecting the area’s natural beauty. They also predict the plan will help the region regain some of its tourist lure as when, decades ago, thousands flocked to now long-gone luxury resorts.

But opponents decry what they see as sprawling development they say will permanently mar the region’s wilderness character. Critics also dismiss the economic claims of Plum Creek and, instead, predict that the second homes and high-end resorts will create few well-paying jobs while offering little help to struggling local schools and hospitals.

Reviewing Plum Creek’s massive proposal has become a full-time job for LURC’s seven-member board, who are not paid for their service. In addition to the public hearings, the commission has held three full weeks of technical hearings with interested parties to examine the details of the plan.

Critics of Plum Creek’s proposal have used the hearings to point out ambiguities in the plan, such as the fact that the company will not commit to the type of “accommodations” that will be offered at Big Moose Mountain and Lily Bay resorts.

While Plum Creek officials insist future resort developers need flexibility, opponents claim the existing language would permit resorts consisting of two small motels and 1,000 timeshare condominiums or single-family homes. Such a development, critics say, would bear little resemblance to the tourist resorts many believe are needed in the region.

Those are among the difficult questions that LURC will deal with next week during the fourth week of technical hearings and in the coming months as staff and commission members try to reach a decision on the proposal.

kmiller@bangordailynews.net

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