Plans for a new housing subdivision near downtown Belfast are moving forward even as some neighbors have raised limited concerns about it.
The developer, Carl Savitz, of Big Bridge Ventures LLC, is working to subdivide a 2.4-acre property at 243 High St. into six lots that could be sold for single- or multi-family housing.
While other housing developments are in the works in the region, this one would stand out for being so close to Belfast’s more built up and desirable downtown. The property is located about halfway between the heart of downtown and Route 1, near the intersection with Pierce Street.
The city’s Planning Board approved a preliminary proposal for the project at its meeting on Wednesday night.
Savitz has said that his goal for the project is to help address the need for housing in Belfast, which like many parts of Maine suffers from a shortage of places for people to rent or buy, which has pushed up the cost of living.
Two existing buildings on the site — a 5,500-square-foot office and a two-unit apartment building — would remain under the preliminary plan. It also proposes the construction of garages to serve the residential properties.
However, some Belfast residents have raised some concerns about the project.
Kay Ziegel, a Pierce Street resident, said she was concerned about adding more driveways along the road, which is on an incline and has poor visibility for both drivers and pedestrians.
“I understand that the plan is in a very early stage, but it’s a tough street to navigate under the best circumstances,” Ziegel said. “I’m totally for the project, except for these row houses. That’s a concern for me.”
Mary Klimek supported Ziegel’s comments, calling Pierce Street’s current condition “dangerous.”
“The pavement is eroding and falling off both sides,” she said. “How are you going to handle the water, and you’re going to have driveways over that? I’m concerned about Pierce Street.”
Her husband, Dan Klimek, raised additional concerns about stormwater runoff into the road.
“Once that gets cleared off and people start putting lawns in, there’s that runoff coming off that property,” he said. “I haven’t seen any of the engineering, but those are the generalized concerns that we have about putting that many houses in that general area.”
An updated plan for the project is due back to the Planning Board at a later date.
