HomeMy WebLinkAbout1992-04-06 Community and Economic Development Committee Minutes COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
Monday, April 6, 1992
• MINUTES
MEMBERS
PRESENT: Councilor W. Tom Sawyer, Chair
Councilor Marshall Frankel
Councilor Don Soucy
Councilor Pat Blanchette
OTHERS
PRESENT: Councilor Gerard Baldacci
Edward A. Barrett, City Manager
Kenneth Gibb, Director of Community & Economic Development
John Lord, Planning Officer
Elsie Coffey, Executive Director of Bangor Housing Auth.
Roland Perry, City Forrester
NEWS
MEDIA: Ned Porter, Bangor Daily News
The meeting was called to order at 7:30 PM.
AGENDA ITEM #1 - Proposed Council Resolve Regarding Bangor Housing
Authority Application
The Community Development staff had received a request from the
Bangor Housing Authority (BHA) to prepare a Council Resolve to the
City Council to approve their submission of an application for a
$75,000 mini-planning grant from the Federal HOPE I funds (the
maximum allowed is $100,000) . The application deadline is April
17th; BHA has 18 months to conduct a study to determine if this
project is feasible at Capehart. This is a HUD sponsored program
whereby low-income tenants would be able to purchase the Capehart
units they currently occupy. Twelve units are currently being
considered. The potential owners would continue to pay no more than
30% of their income; their mortgage will be tailored to their income.
Elsie Coffey, Executive Director of the Bangor Housing Authority,
made a presentation to Committee explaining the finer points of the
program's feasibility study to be conducted as well as answering
questions from Committee and Staff.
Councilor Don Soucy recommended approval of the Resolve by the
Bangor Housing Authority. So voted unanimously.
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AGENDA ITEM #2 - Update on Prentiss Woods Trail Improvement Project
Roland Perry, City Forester, updated the Committee and staff on
the history and progress of 2 natural land area preserves . Prentiss
Woods is a city-owned preserve located north of Grandview .Ave. , in
back of Bangor High School, in an area that was reforested about 25
years ago. There are approximately 40 acres in this preserve. He
indicated that 2 years ago they put in a parking lot using salvaged
materials . In the winter, loop trails were cut up through the
preserve with street sweepings being used to build these trails .
At this point in time, the trails are half completed with about
3-400 more feet to be completed. There is ample vegetation of Oak
and White Birch on this preserve. Thinning and pruning have been
done.
The second parcel, called the Brown Woods, is approximately 30
acres located on Ohio Street and was willed to the City. This
preserve has also undergone basically the same improvements as
Prentiss Woods. Both of these preserves have been improved with
the intention of low-maintenance (the most that would have to be
done perhaps would be to take care of any fallen trees) .
Roland indicated that there are no stipulations on Prentiss
Woods preserve as to what can be done to the land. On Brown Woods,
however, there are some restrictions called for in the deed but
none that relate to what Roland is proposing to do.
• AGENDA ITEM #3 - Proposed Regulations at Pleasant Street Parking
Lot
Ken Gibb presented the proposed parking regulations to take
place at the Pleasant Street Parking lot. This is part of a
public/private agreement with Burgundy Realty Trust and the City of
Bangor. It has a total of 83 spaces with the delineation breakdown
as follows:
8 - public 2-hour parking
36 - public unrestricted (lower level)
30 - leased to Burgundy Realty Trust (per agreement)
8 - reserved for Bean & Conquest (per land acquisition
negotiations)
All spaces will be available to the public after business hours
and on weekends.
It was moved, seconded and unanimously approved that the
Committee recommends approval of the ordinance amendments to the
City Council .
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AGENDA ITEM #4 - Land Development Code Amendments
• This item pertains to two Land Development Code Amendments
being proposed. It was brought before the Committee at this time
in order to have a full discussion on it before it went to the City
Council for their consideration.
The first amendment is a "housekeeping" provision to clarify
the status of formerly approved subdivisions which were located in
the Residential 1-A Zone under the 1974 Zoning Ordinance. These
subdivisions are "grandfathered" under the provisions of subsection
D of this Section (nonconformities) of the Ordinance as to site
development standards. If the lot does not meet the lot width and
area of the new Land Development Code it will be considered a
grandfathered parcel and may be built upon. Since manufactured
housing subdivisions are a conditional use in the LDR district of
the new Land Development Code and not a permitted use, there has
been some question as to whether there is any grandfathering of the
use on lots which do not already have manufactured housing placed
on them. All undeveloped lots in the former R-1A Zones would have
to receive a conditional use permit under the provisions of the
current Ordinance. Staff has proposed the grandfathering of the
lots in a formerly zoned R-1A subdivision for the manufactured
housing use. This means that it would not be necessary to receive
conditional use approval for those previously approved subdivisions
which meet the grandfather provisions under this section as to
development standards . Any future subdivision development in the
• LDR Districts will require conditional use approval (which would be
granted at the time of the subdivision review itself) .
This amendment has been reviewed by the Comprehensive Plan
Committee and Staff would recommend that the Planning Board
recommend it to the City Council.
The second amendment dealt with minimum lot area and width for
manufactured housing.
Staff had reviewed the status of manufactured housing
subdivisions in the context of the proposed amendment and in the
LDR District and came to the conclusion that applying the same
minimum standards to manufactured housing as applied to
single-family detached housing was not logical.
Staff indicated that a more appropriate set of minimum
standards for manufactured housing should reflect their long and
narrow design, thereby reduce the lot width to 75 feet and the
minimum lot size to 10,000 sq. ft. Staff recommended passage of
the proposed amendment setting forth these changes.
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Committee member, Councilor Don Soucy asked to abstain from
• voting on this item as he is presently in the process of obtaining
an R-1A subdivison which is 2/3 approved and sold out. He did,
however, (as a concerned citizen) offer comments regarding the
minimum standards. He stated that he felt the minimum standards
should be the same for everybody - whether manufactured housing or
single-family detached - 10,000 sq. ft. is sufficient. Committee
member, Councilor Marshall Frankel also indicated the same feeling
- that the minimum standards should be the same for everybody.
Marshall Frankel moved that the Committee recommend approval of
Ordinance 92-149 and that a new ordinance amendment, which
designates minimum lot sizes of 10,000 square feet for manufactured
and stick built homes, be pepared for first reading for the City
Council. Pat Blanchette seconded and the motion was unanimously
approved.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:35 PM.
rp
4/14/92
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