SACO, Maine — The Saco Planning Board on Tuesday approved a site plan to convert space at 439 Main Street into rental affordable housing, after staff and outside counsel revised the affordable‑housing agreement to remove references to sale and to clarify annual monitoring.

City planner Emily Cole Prescott told the board the applicant had amended plans to clarify that the units would be rentals only and that owners would need to return to the Planning Board for a site plan amendment if they later sought to convert units to for‑sale affordable housing. She said the city’s consulting land‑use attorney had redrafted the affordable‑housing agreement and that staff had produced standard annual reporting forms to support long‑term monitoring.

The board reviewed updated draft findings and conditions and voted to adopt them. Board member Jim Moyer moved to adopt the findings of fact; the motion passed with a five‑to‑zero vote and one abstention. The board then adopted the conditions of approval and granted site plan approval by the same margin.

The approval includes a requirement that the developer submit an annual certification documenting tenant incomes and residency so that the city can confirm continued compliance with the affordable‑housing restrictions. Prescott said staff will use a standard form (Exhibit B in the agreement) and that the city is developing an internal standard operating procedure for how the monitoring and confidential documentation will be stored and reviewed.

Moyer and other board members said they were satisfied the agreement language now matched the board’s earlier direction to limit the approval to rental units and to require return to the Planning Board before sales could be permitted. Applicant representatives told the board they had reviewed the revised agreement and agreed with it.

The board’s approval is subject to the finalization of the affordable‑housing agreement and associated exhibits, and the applicant will be responsible for annual reporting to the city.