Biddeford seeks public comment on comp plan update

The public will get a probability to comment next 7 days on proposed variations to Biddeford’s detailed plan, and the deficiency of obtainable housing citywide seems to be having center stage.

“There’s nowhere around ample (households). (The neighborhood housing sector is) generally very restricted,” explained Town Councilor Amy Clearwater.

Abigail Smallwood, the city’s local community advancement coordinator, explained a proposed draft of the comprehensive prepare has been out there for review for a 12 months now.  Since January, officials have been conducting a series of general public surveys to gauge opinions on the recent draft. 

Now, Smallwood said, the community will have a prospect to remark on these variations in a series of community do the job sessions over the future 7 days, starting Tuesday at 1 and 6 p.m. and once again on Thursday, April 14, at 1 p.m.

The town is overdue for an update to its extensive strategy. The last official update was again in 1999. Mayor Alan Casavant claimed the existing procedure actually began about 7 several years ago, but disputes over regardless of whether to use an outside contractor to update the system or do it in-dwelling took numerous a long time to resolve. Far more not too long ago, he claimed, the pandemic slowed development.

“It’s just dragged on,” Casavant claimed.

Loads has occurred in Biddeford considering the fact that 1999, which includes the marketing off of virtually all the structures in the city’s mill district, with the previous becoming the Maine Power Recovery Company’s incinerator plant, which the city bought in 2012. All of the structures in the district are now possibly completely renovated or in the midst of renovation projects. 

These days, the cluster of about 30 brick buildings together the Saco River are dwelling to hundreds of household and commercial tenants. Casavant mentioned the progress happened so quickly, he doubted any in depth system could have held up.

“If we had completed the comprehensive approach five yrs in the past, it would previously be out of date,” he said. “The speed of those improvements blew me absent.” 

Smallwood mentioned up coming week’s periods will address very affordable housing, such as likely zoning alterations that would make it possible for economical multi-device buildings in the city heart. She mentioned landlords who have been making an attempt to develop for decades could ultimately get their probability.

“It gives them added earnings that they wouldn’t have normally,” she reported. 

Casavant claimed the city unquestionably demands to update its present zoning, which he named “out of day and bizarre.” He stated a buddy who owns a two-device creating, and can not construct a 3rd unit mainly because the present zoning laws for his assets never enable it.

“(But) across the road, he could do it. It made no sense,” he explained. 

Smallwood claimed the proposed improvements also contain allowing accent dwelling models, generally referred to as “in-law apartments,” which might be connected to present houses or constructed individually on the very same assets. The plan, she explained, is to stimulate progress exactly where constructions by now exist, as opposed to wholesale clearing of open room to build new properties.

“We’ve been focusing on a amount of tactics,” she claimed.

Clearwater, who covers Ward 5, where the mill structures are found, explained encouraging existing proprietors to make on their individual assets is the finest way for the city to advertise growth.

“The sector is taking care of the large assignments. There’s a whole lot of incentive for a developer to switch a mill making into housing,” she mentioned.

Smallwood stated the a few work periods will be virtual, and are free to go to, but pre-registration is essential. To master far more about the in depth approach, proposed updates, and to sign-up to attend a do the job session, go to https://www.biddefordmaine.org/comprehensiveplan.