Latest news with #LD2003
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Maine lawmakers still betting on accessory dwelling units to help end housing crisis
Apr. 30—Three years ago, Maine lawmakers passed a landmark bill designed to increase home construction and ease the state's worsening housing crisis. Now, almost one year after implementation, some worry the law hasn't lived up to its potential. "I don't think we've seen nearly that much uptake since LD 2003 passed," said Maine House Speaker Ryan Fecteau, D-Biddeford. Fecteau hopes to change that with a bill to patch some of the holes and confusion created with the original legislation, which makes up to two accessory dwelling units legal on all single-family lots statewide. Sometimes called granny flats or in-law suites, ADUs are small residences — usually 600 to 1,000 square feet — that share a single-family lot with a larger, primary dwelling. They're often used as housing for family members or rented out for supplemental income. "(The bill) seeks to make it more likely for a homeowner who is not independently wealthy to have the means or access to financing in order to actually build an ADU on their property," Fecteau said during a public hearing on the bill Tuesday. But others worry it introduces too many changes to the nascent law and could have unintended consequences. REDUCING BARRIERS The bill, LD 1272, would allow up to four units on a single lot and prohibit a municipality from adopting an ordinance that requires the owner of the lot to live in one of the units. It would also allow for the accessory dwelling units to be "condo-ized," Fecteau said, meaning the units could be purchased, rather than just rented — a move that could increase interest from developers. Homeowners could receive a portion of the sale. The bill would also prohibit towns and cities from requiring ADUs to have sprinkler systems and expand the definition of "subdivision" from three lots to five. The current occupancy requirement is ostensibly intended to prevent the units from becoming solely short-term rentals, Fecteau said, but removing it increases the "loan to value ratio" for the homeowner and unlocks critical access to financing, allowing more ADUs to be built. "If both the existing home and the potential ADU can be rented, the property as a whole can be assessed at a higher value, allowing homeowners to qualify for loans they need," he said. Short-term rentals can be addressed in other ways, he added. Other aspects of the bill, like subdivision and sprinkler changes, are designed to reduce what builders have complained are onerous and costly regulations and make construction more efficient and affordable. "While LD 2003 unlocked permissions for homeowners to build ADUs, permission alone is not enough to guarantee that new housing will be built," Fecteau said. 'NOT A SILVER BULLET' The bill was broadly supported by affordable housing advocates, who said reducing barriers to construction and financing will help address the state's critical housing shortage. Patrick Hess, director of real estate development at Avesta Housing, applauded the subdivision changes, which he said could encourage multifamily housing and development in areas that are already connected to municipal infrastructure. "Overall, reducing unnecessary review can lower barriers to entry and streamline the municipal approvals process, thereby increasing financial feasibility for more developments and ultimately produce more housing," he said in written testimony. Max Rush, representing the Maine Affordable Housing Coalition, said the "modest, lower-cost homes" offer opportunities to first-time homebuyers and older people looking to downsize. "ADUs are not a silver bullet, but they are a vital part of the solution," he said. Others, however, argued that some of the provisions undermine the hard-won compromises in LD 2003 and that loosening subdivision laws could have unintended consequences like sprawl and destruction of rural farmland. Jennie Poulin Franceschi, Westbrook's planning director, argued that the bill effectively renders the "accessory" in accessory dwelling unit meaningless. "The point of an accessory use is that (it) is not more dominant than the primary use," she said in written testimony. Allowing up to four units and removing the owner-occupied requirement makes it moot while also giving ADUs flexible standards that don't apply to other commercial-based residences. Similarly, allowing ADUS to be purchased just creates another home — it's no longer an "accessory" use, she said. Ches Gundrum, director of advocacy for Maine Audubon, urged lawmakers to give LD 2003 more time to work out the kinks. "As towns are still grappling with LD 2003 and that really important vision for our state, give them a moment to continue to work through that before we make really sweeping changes," she said. Developed land cannot be undeveloped, she added, so "we've got one shot to get this right." Copy the Story Link
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Election 2025: Wells Select Board a highlight among York County's contested races
The town of Wells has the distinction of being the only York County Coast Star community with a contested Select Board race on its ballot during the upcoming June 10 election. Chair John MacLeod III and fellow Select Board member Scott DeFelice are both running for re-election. They are being challenged by Avery Seuter and Mark Bagdasarian. MacLeod, currently the chair of the Select Board, is seeking his third consecutive term. He said he is running for three more years because he wants to continue to work on the many projects the town is currently pursuing. Responsible community planning, infrastructure, emergency medical services, sea-level rise, and housing, particularly accessible dwelling units, were among the issues McLeod named as being on the town's plate. 'We've been working on a lot of large initiatives,' he said. MacLeod also noted the general climate of politics today, adding there is a lot of contention and breakdowns in communication across the country. He said Wells is different. 'Wells is still a nice community,' he said. 'The underlying principle should always be that we listen to people. I think we have a board that listens to people.' Fellow incumbent Scott DeFelice is running for a second consecutive term to continue being a part of a 'good group on the board, with an excellent town manager.' 'We're working on some serious issues,' DeFelice said. 'I'd like to be a part of the solutions. If calm, rational people don't step up, things can really go sideways really quickly.' DeFelice said he is concerned about some of the mandates passed down to towns from the state level – ones that 'creep into areas where they've not gone before.' For example, DeFelice referred to zoning, particularly LD 2003, the bill that the Maine Legislature passed for the regulation of accessible dwelling units to meet the state's housing goals. 'That's admirable, but the state's one-size-fits-all approach doesn't work for us,' he said, referring to smaller communities like Wells. DeFelice said he is also concerned about the state's broadening view of code enforcement as it relates to such matters as plumbing fixtures, drywall repair, and other specifics. He said the matter is an issue of individual rights and added that local code officers are already busy with their jobs. 'They've got bigger things to deal with,' he said. DeFelice also referred to the potential unification of the Wells Fire Department and Wells Emergency Medical Services, a proposal that intends to help WEMS overcome its challenges with expenses and staffing and allow it to keep meeting local demands for services. 'We're at the point where something has to be done,' DeFelice said. 'This needs to be studied carefully.' DeFelice also said he wants to keep working on the project to build a new community center at Founders Park on Sanford Road. He called the project, which is in its final stages with the local Planning Board, an important part of efforts to create a sense of a town center. 'We're going at leaps and bounds,' said DeFelice, who co-chairs the Founders Park Community Center Committee. 'I would love to be there for the completion of this project.' Avery Seuter, a recent York County Community College graduate, said he is running for a Select Board seat because a recent collaboration between him and his friends and the local government gave him a taste of accomplishment and community service. Seuter said the collaboration involved improving pedestrian access between the college and Route 1. 'That got me excited,' he said. 'I like that you can identify a problem in town and can work with people to fix things.' Seuter said he attended more Select Board meetings since working with the town on the pedestrian access issue. 'The procedural elements of the Select Board are really interesting to me,' he said. Seuter said he would like to work on solving transportation issues in the community. He said he has followed the town's Route 1 Corridor Study efforts closely and feels sidewalks need to be upgraded and added throughout the community. In particular, he said it 'would be huge' if the town could install sidewalks that connect the local train station to the center of the community, 'especially since ridership is up.' Seuter also said he would like to work on cost-of-living issues, especially relating to housing. 'It's hard to find affordable shelter in Wells,' he said. 'As a young person, that's top of my mind.' The fourth candidate, Mark Bagdasarian, did not reply by press time to questions that were emailed to him at his request. In other races, voters will settle a three-way race for two terms that are available on the Wells Sanitary District's Board of Trustees. Incumbent Justin Batchelder is running to keep his seat, and newcomers Andre Brousseau and Paul Baratta are each hoping for their own opportunity to serve. Mark Bagdasarian and Cory Chase are seeking to represent the town on the Kennebunk Kennebunkport Wells Water District Board of Trustees. More: Wells police ICE training sparks pushback Select Board Chair Miriam Whitehouse and Board member Leslie Trentalange, both on the town's ballot for a second consecutive term, are running unopposed. Incumbent Robert Emmons is facing a challenge from newcomer Kevin Flynn for a five-year term on the Kennebunk Light and Power District's Board of Trustees. Incumbent Wayne Brockway is the only one seeking one of the two three-year seats available on the Kennebunk Sewer District's Board of Trustees. Brockway is currently the Board's treasurer. More: Kennebunk Detective Steve Borst helps solve national ATM theft case Longtime Select Board member Sheila Mathews-Bull has decided not to pursue another term on the board. As a result, Select Board incumbent Jon Dykstra and first-timer Joseph Moan are assured the two three-year seats that are up for grabs. Incumbent Select Board Vice Chair Carole Allen is uncontested in her hope for reelection. Newcomer Molly Muscari is uncontested in her bid for a term on the town's Budget Review Committee. Incumbent Frederick Lynk is not seeking another term. There are two alternate posts available on the Budget Review Committee, but no one is seeking to fill them on the ballot. Lastly, incumbent Chair William Sawyer is uncontested in his bid for a new three-year term as a trustee of the Ogunquit Sewer District. Select Board Chair Velma Jones Hayes and newcomer Charles Bassett are running unopposed for the two seats on the board. Incumbent Select Board member Jason Nedeau is not seeking reelection. Two three-year terms are available on the Budget Board, but only incumbent Theo Rohrs is in the running. More: RSU 21 advances $62.7M budget to voters As for local School Board races, the situation is the same: incumbents and newcomers alike can enjoy a stress-free campaign season. In Kennebunk, Arianna Efstathiou and Brian McGrath, both new arrivals on the political scene, are unchallenged in their first attempts to represent their hometown on the RSU 21 School Board. Kennebunk incumbents Claudia Sayre and Gayle Asmussen Spofford, whose seats are on the ballot, are not seeking reelection. In Kennebunkport, incumbent Rachel Kennedy-Smith is seeking reelection to a three-year term on the RSU 21 School Board. She is not facing an opponent. Neither is Robert Domine, who is running to serve one year of an unfinished term on the RSU 21 School Board – the one vacated by Susan Holloran and later filled by Diane Franz by appointment. Franz is not making a bid to keep the seat. Domine is a former member of the School Board. In Arundel, the third and final RSU 21 community, recently appointed School Board member Mandy Cummings is uncontested in her hopes of serving one year of an unfinished term. Cummings is currently serving in the seat vacated by Kirstin Shapiro last winter. Also on the Arundel ballot, incumbent Vice Chair Britney Gerth is seeking three more years on the School Board and is not facing a challenge. Over in the Wells-Ogunquit Community School District, newcomer Kevin Chabot and incumbent Boriana Dolliver are the sole candidates in their quests to represent Wells and Ogunquit, respectively, on the WOCSD School Board. In Wells, incumbent Chair Helena Kowalewski is not seeking reelection. This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Election 2025: Wells Select Board among York County's contested races
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
How can Maine fix its housing crisis? A new report has dozens of ideas
Jan. 29—Recent reports on Maine's housing crisis have carried some eye-popping numbers: The state needs to build 84,000 homes by 2030. Washington County needs to increase its annual number of building permits by 1,200%. The median home sale price was nearly $400,000 last year. For years, state housing officials and advocates have argued that the only way to shrink those numbers is simply to build more. When the need is so great, the task can seem overwhelming. But a new state-sponsored report, presented this week to the Legislature's Committee on Economic Housing and Development, issued specific recommendations for how to do just that — 83 pages of them. And it could set the stage for the Legislature's upcoming session. Two years ago, the state released a report that declared Maine is short about 84,000 homes, and that the total housing stock — not just the number of new homes being built — needs to increase by about 11% by 2030 to alleviate the existing housing crisis and make room for all the people needed to bolster the state's declining workforce. Then, in September, officials broke down the needs at the county level and established housing "goals," finding that annual housing production statewide needs to just about double. The September report included a long list of suggestions — including infrastructure improvements, increased state and federal funding for affordable housing development, and simplified building and land-use regulations at the state and municipal levels — but did not require any changes or include direct money to any particular solutions. This week's report drills deeper into those suggestions, offering a more granular look at the ways the state can incentivize development, data collection and workforce development. It also lays out which options are the most and least cost-effective and labor-intensive. Most of the 40-plus changes outlined would require legislative action, so the report is partly intended to serve as a roadmap for Maine's lawmakers as they draft and consider new housing bills. "If we know our needs and we know our goals, the next question is, how do we get from where we are now to where we need to be by 2030?" said Greg Payne, the state's senior housing adviser. "What state-level policy levers exist that we can pull to create more homes more quickly, and at a more sustainable cost?" View this document on Scribd The reports come at the behest of the Legislature as part of LD 2003, a law passed in 2022 that, among other changes, requires municipalities to allow up to four units on any property zoned for single-family residential use. The landmark law was "a step forward," according to the newly released report, but significant challenges remain. "Delays in development approvals, high impact fees, uncertain infrastructure costs, and resistance to increased density continue to make it difficult to deliver homes that are affordable for most Mainers," HR&A Advisors wrote. HR&A, a consulting firm, provided research for the first report and authored the most recent. Some recommendations include: — Increasing the pace and volume of housing development reviews and appeals — Reforming state and local building codes to reduce development costs — Establishing a mixed-used income housing fund — Preserving mobile homes and exploring modular and 3D-printed housing — Finding state-owned properties that could be sold for housing development — Increased subsidies for affordable rental and homeownership programs Few of the recommendations are revolutionary, but if adopted, a handful could prove to be unpopular among municipalities, many of which have pushed back against implementing the zoning changes required by LD 2003. For example, all three reports have emphasized the need for accurate and comprehensive data collection. Currently, housing production data is tracked by the U.S. Census Bureau, which compiles data voluntarily submitted by municipalities. One suggestion follows the lead of states like Connecticut and Oregon, and would require that municipalities regularly submit data on housing production and demolition. It would need to be a mandate, so municipalities couldn't opt out, the report said. The report also suggested that towns and cities that "contribute to housing goals" should be prioritized for state funding. "Participating municipalities would gain prioritized access to discretionary funding, such as school renovation and infrastructure funding, by meeting or exceeding housing production targets and adopting priority zoning and land use policies," the report said. Municipalities could be scored based on their adoption of a range of policies including reducing minimum lot sizes to 0.5 acres in designated growth areas and requiring multifamily housing provisions in local comprehensive plans, among other options. HR&A floated the idea of a housing appeals process to "limit delays and unlawful denials of housing proposals." The state would need to determine the criteria for a project to be eligible for appeal. Some states, like Connecticut, limit eligible projects to those that include affordable housing. There could also be criteria to exempt municipalities from the appeals process. A housing appeals process was included in earlier versions of LD 2003 but was scrapped in the scaled-back version of the bill that eventually passed. The appeal process was opposed by the Maine Municipal Association, which argued that allowing developers to take municipalities to court for denying projects undermines local housing control. SUPPORT FOR TRADES This week's report also emphasized the need for Maine to support the private sector, particularly by bolstering the construction trades workforce. According to the Maine Department of Labor, the state is short between 2,000 to 4,000 workers in the construction and adjacent industries, including transportation and material workers, construction laborers, electricians, equipment operators and building inspectors. HR&A recommended providing long-term funding for apprenticeship programs, attracting nontraditional workers, streamlining licensing for the trades and accelerating employer-financed workforce housing projects. These recommendations wouldn't be the first steps the state has taken to alleviate the housing shortage — Maine has invested over $310 million in doing just that, according to Payne, the senior housing adviser. "These historic investments, along with key zoning and land use reforms, have supported vulnerable residents and our workforce while creating the largest pipeline of affordable housing development in MaineHousing's history," he said in a statement. "But as reports like this show, there's more Maine could do to address this critical need." Copy the Story Link
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Report outlines dozens of policy ideas to address Maine's housing crisis
Jan. 29—Recent reports on the state's housing crisis have carried some eye-popping numbers: The state needs to build 84,000 homes by 2030. Washington County needs to increase the annual number of building permits by 1,200%. The median home sale price last year was over $390,000. For years, state housing officials and advocates have argued that the only way to shrink those numbers is simply to build more. When the need is so great, the task can seem overwhelming. But a new state-sponsored report, presented this week to the Legislature's Committee on Economic Housing and Development, issued specific recommendations for how to do just that — 83 pages of them. And it could set the stage for the upcoming Legislative session. Two years ago, the state released its report that Maine is short about 84,000 homes and that the total housing stock — not just the number of new homes being built — needs to increase by about 11% in by 2030 to alleviate the existing housing crisis and make room for all the people needed to bolster the declining workforce. Then, in September, officials broke down the needs at the county level and established housing "goals" that found that statewide, annual housing production needs to just about double. The September report included a long list of suggestions — including infrastructure improvements, increased state and federal funding for affordable housing development and simplified building and land-use regulations at the state and municipal level — but did not require any changes or direct money to any particular solutions. This week's report drills deeper into those suggestions, offering a more granular look at the ways the state can incentivize development, data collection and workforce development. It also lays out which options are the most and least cost-effective and labor-intensive. Most of the 40-plus changes outlined would require legislative action, so the report is partly intended to serve as a roadmap for Maine's lawmakers as they draft and consider new housing bills. "If we know our needs and we know our goals, the next question is, how do we get from where we are now to where we need to be by 2030?" said Greg Payne, the state's senior housing advisor. "What state-level policy levers exist that we can pull to create more homes more quickly, and at a more sustainable cost?" View this document on Scribd The reports come at the behest of the Legislature as part of LD 2003, a law passed in 2022 that, among other changes, requires municipalities to allow up to four units on any property zoned for single-family residential use. The landmark law was "a step forward," according to the report, but significant challenges remain. "Delays in development approvals, high impact fees, uncertain infrastructure costs, and resistance to increased density continue to make it difficult to deliver homes that are affordable for most Mainers," HR&A Advisors wrote. HR&A, a consulting firm, provided research for the first report and authored the most recent. Some recommendations included: — Increasing the pace and volume of housing development reviews and appeals — Reforming state and local building codes to reduce development costs — Establishing a mixed-used income housing fund — Preserving mobile homes and exploring modular and 3D-printed housing — Finding state-owned properties that could be sold for housing development — Increased subsidies for affordable rental and homeownership programs Few of the recommendations are revolutionary, but if adopted, a handful could prove to be unpopular among municipalities, many of which have pushed back against implementing the zoning changes required by LD 2003. For example, all three reports have emphasized the need for accurate and comprehensive data collection. Currently, housing production data is tracked by the U.S. Census Bureau, which compiles data voluntarily submitted by municipalities. One suggestion follows the lead of states like Connecticut and Oregon, and would require that municipalities regularly submit data on housing production and demolition. It would need to be a mandate, so municipalities couldn't opt out, the report said. The report also suggested that towns and cities that "contribute to housing goals" should be prioritized for state funding. "Participating municipalities would gain prioritized access to discretionary funding, such as school renovation and infrastructure funding, by meeting or exceeding housing production targets and adopting priority zoning and land use policies," the report said. Municipalities could be scored based on their adoption of a range of policies including reducing minimum lot sizes to 0.5 acres in designated growth areas and requiring multifamily housing provisions in local comprehensive plans, among other options. HR&A floated the idea of a housing appeals process to "limit delays and unlawful denials of housing proposals." The state would need to determine the criteria for a project to be eligible for appeal. Some states, like Connecticut, limit eligible projects to those that include affordable housing. There could also be criteria to exempt municipalities from the appeals process. A housing appeals process was included in earlier versions of LD 2003, but was scrapped in the scaled-back version of the bill that passed. The appeal process was opposed by the Maine Municipal Association, which argued that allowing developers take municipalities to court for denying projects undermines local housing control. The report also emphasized the need to support the private sector, particularly by bolstering the construction trades workforce. According to the Maine Department of Labor, the state is short between 2,000 to 4,000 workers in the construction and adjacent industries, including transportation and material workers, construction laborers, electricians, equipment operators and building inspectors. HR&A recommended providing long-term funding for apprenticeship programs, attracting nontraditional workers, streamlining licensing for the trades and accelerating employer-financed workforce housing projects. These recommendations wouldn't be the first steps the state has taken to alleviate the housing shortage — Maine has invested over $310 million in doing just that, according to Payne, the senior housing advisor. "These historic investments, along with key zoning and land use reforms, have supported vulnerable residents and our workforce while creating the largest pipeline of affordable housing development in MaineHousing's history," he said in a statement. "But as reports like this show, there's more Maine could do to address this critical need." Copy the Story Link
