Who Should Decide How to Manage Growth in Your Town?
Last year, the 130th legislature enacted a new law - LD 2003 - which is a state-mandated takeover of your town's ability to manage growth. This means that your town's comprehensive plan is obliterated, and your town's governing body is hamstrung. What townspeople want is irrelevant. The question is: who should decide how to manage growth in your town?
This new law forces several changes on you:
Single-family lots are forbidden.
Every lot could add two additional homes.
A vacant lot must allow for four housing units.
If a developer proposes affordable housing, a density bonus of 2.5 times the permitted number of units must be awarded, creating apartment complexes in any neighborhood designated as a growth area.
Accessory Dwelling Units must be permitted for every home.
Parking is no longer a requirement. Towns may not require more than 2 parking spaces for every 3 of the affordable housing units.
Towns may not require any additional off-street parking for the Accessory Dwelling Units.
State-mandated production goals have yet to be determined.
Is this what you want for your town? If not, there is a bill pending in the Joint Standing Committee on Housing right now - LD 214. If passed, it will exempt towns with fewer than 10,000 residents from the provisions of LD 2003. The public hearing has been scheduled for Tuesday, April 11 at 1:30 pm.
If you believe local control over your town's growth is important, there are three things you can do now:
Submit testimony in support of LD 214. Go to https://mainelegislature.org/testimony/ and follow the prompts.
Contact your state senator and your state representative and tell them that you think Augusta dictates are unfair and ask them to support and vote in favor of LD 214.
Contact your friends, relatives, and neighbors and ask them to do the same.
Don't miss this opportunity to make your voice heard and protect your town's ability to manage growth. Act now before April 11th, 2023!