Housing in Boothbay Harbor took the spotlight at the June 12 selectboard meeting. Members of the selectboard and planning board discussed how town officials can coordinate on planning.
Selectboard Chair Michael Tomko said housing has been identified as a top priority for Boothbay Harbor and he noted several ongoing efforts to address it. He said he attended a June 5 workshop hosted by MidCoast Economic Development District and Lincoln County Regional Planning Commission. He also attended a more locally focused workshop with the Boothbay Harbor planning board and Lincoln County Planner Emily Rabbe the same week.
Tomko said the meetings covered issues brought up in the Maine law, LD 2003, including affordable housing, accessory dwellings and additional dwellings. As reported in the Register, voters rejected LD 2003 at the annual town meeting. There, several residents brought up concerns that the law is poorly written, and the state is overreaching its authority.
A vote passed the Maine legislature June 12 that would extend the LD 2003 implementation deadline for one year to July 1, 2024 for towns with a town meeting form of government. If it becomes law, the extra time could be beneficial to many towns, according to Rabbe.
“I think people are breathing a sigh of relief because they have more time be to be compliant,” she said. “It allows people the opportunity to have conversations rather than quickly meeting to adjust. It allows people to be more thoughtful in the process.”
During the June 12 selectboard meeting, Boothbay Harbor Planning Board Chair Tom Churchill asked for guidance from the selectboard on town zoning and planning issues.
According to Tomko, the planning board brought nine proposals to the selectboard in the past year; three moved past the selectboard and two passed at the annual town meeting in May.
Churchill said the planning board had hoped more of the items would have been put in the town warrant. He came to the meeting in an attempt to coordinate efforts between the two boards and move the items forward. Some of the planning board’s top priorities involve short-term rentals, Churchill said.
“It’s an issue that the (selectboard) is going to need to address, and it’s going to be a discussion,” he said.
According to Churchill, half the town supports the rentals because they make up for the loss of hotels for tourists, but the other half thinks they are taking housing away from employees and year-round residents. He suggested several approaches, from consciously doing nothing to regulating short-term rental zones and occupancy.
Churchill also brought up other town issues including building height ordinances, land area requirements in the downtown business district, and a simplified application process for small projects. However, he said the planning board needs direction. “It’s not up to the planning board to make any of those decisions,” he said. “We’ll write the ordinance once we get those directions from the selectboard. What do you want this ordinance to say?”
In the short term, Churchill recommended a discussion between the two boards to discuss the problems, better understand each other and give the selectboard an opportunity to clarify what they want the ordinances to achieve. He advocated for a part-time town planner who could apply professional experience to the efforts.
“What are we trying to achieve is probably the most relevant thing I took away from this (discussion),” said Tomko. “… How does this impact our community? I think having those discussions will go a long way towards when that ordinance language gets written, proposed and goes forward.”
Tomko said many of the goals brought up by Churchill align with what he and other selectboard members hope to address. He said they also dovetail with the state’s efforts. He expressed interest in creating a housing committee with members of the planning board and community to address the issues.
“We have to figure out exactly what it is that we want to accomplish or impact,” he said. “Is it the zoning ordinances? Is it a way to communicate with developers? What are the issues that all of us and the community sees?”
In other business, the town hall and police department recently received several upgrades. Town Manager Julia Latter said a new HVAC system is being installed in the town hall, which should increase energy efficiency and will allow the building to be used as a cooling center during heat waves. According to the town office, the $48,580 installation comes at no cost to taxpayers. The board also approved the purchase of $12,000 worth of computer equipment for the police department to be paid for by grant money, according to Latter.
The town also increased several fees. According to Latter, non-resident mooring fees were increased to meet port regulations and winter dockage fees went up to cover the increasing cost of electricity. In addition, fees for events at Barrett’s Park and Whale Park were increased, and a new fee has been imposed at the Whale Park dock for special events.
Latter said the Footbridge project has been further delayed, but said the builder is confident it will be open by June 23. Several members of the selectboard voiced their support for the work on the footbridge, and said it looks encouraging.