The Rockland Planning Board unanimously voted against a proposal to eliminate minimum lot size requirements for some residences at its Tuesday night meeting, joining two other city committees in opposing the measure, according to The Courier-Gazette.
The ordinance amendment, which was given initial approval by the City Council on May 13, would eliminate the minimum lot size requirements for sewered lots in residential zones A and B. The current minimum lot sizes are 5,000 square feet and 2,000 square feet, respectively. The council is scheduled to take a final vote on the proposal Monday, according to the Rockland newspaper.
Mayor Nicole Kalloch, who proposed the change, said she heard from developers that doing this would be the quickest and most cost-effective way to create more housing, the newspaper reported.
A state study released last fall found that Maine needs to build at least 76,400 new homes by 2030 to support both existing and future residents. The state’s housing crisis is acutely felt in the midcoast region, where a recent study found that median home prices were generally unaffordable to the median household in 2021.
Planning Board Chair Clare Stanton said while she supports lowering barriers to affordable housing, removing minimum lot size requirements would not help achieve this goal, The Courier-Gazette said.
City Planner Rhett Lamb said this measure could create more density than the city can support with its infrastructure, the newspaper reported. Lamb wasn’t immediately available for comment.
The Comprehensive Planning Commission and the Historic Preservation Commission also unanimously opposed the ordinance change. Chair of the Historic Preservation Commission, Ann Morris, asked the City Council to postpone its final vote on the measure to allow for more discussion, The Courier-Gazette reported. The vote was originally set for June 10.
