A joint meeting of the Select Board, Planning Board and Land Management Planning Committee on Tuesday, February 27, will be a first opportunity for their collaborative review of proposed changes to New Gloucester’s zoning ordinance resulting from LD 2003, Maine’s housing/zoning law, and other items.
The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. in the Meetinghouse and will be live-streamed at this link.
Of the proposed changes, the item of broadest public interest involves bringing New Gloucester into compliance with LD 2003. LD 2003 is the recent state law intended to increase housing supply, including affordable housing, by loosening restrictions on accessory dwelling units (ADUs), increasing allowable density and incentivizing development of affordable housing. All municipalities must comply with the law’s provisions by July 1, 2024.
An overview of LD 2003 and its implications for New Gloucester will be presented at the February 27 joint meeting and at the public hearing to follow on March 19. Get a sneak peek at explanatory PowerPoint slides about LD 2003 at this link.
As an example of LD 2003’s effect, under New Gloucester’s current ordinance, accessory apartments (the equivalent of ADUs) must have a family member occupant – an in-law apartment, for instance. That limitation is antithetical to the spirit of LD 2003, which makes ADUs broadly permissible where homes are allowed, provided setbacks and other requirements are met. The revised ordinance language for New Gloucester does away with the family-member requirement for an ADU, among other changes.
The revised ordinance language has been developed by Town Planner Kathy Tombarelli and members of LMPC, in consultation with the Planning Board.
Also on the table for discussion at the February 27 joint meeting are revisions simplifying the process for property owners to make minor changes to previously-approved site plans, and a proposed floodplain management ordinance. For residents to be eligible for flood insurance, the Town must adopt comprehensive regulations that satisfy requirements from FEMA.
Find a mark-up of the affected sections of the zoning ordinance, along with the proposed floodplain management ordinance, in the February 27 agenda packet at this link.
Following the February 27 joint meeting and the public hearing in March, the ordinance changes will go to voters at Town Meeting on May 6, 2024, and if approved, be put to a ballot vote in June.
— Joanne Cole
