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Applicant finds 439 Main Street plan complete; board schedules public hearing on affordable housing conversion for June 3
Summary
The Planning Board found the conversion application for 439 Main Street complete and set a public hearing for June 3 to review the proposal to convert seven commercial condos into seven residential units using the affordable-housing density bonus.
The Socko Planning Board on May 6 found the application for 439 Main Street (Map 33, Lot 25-1) complete and scheduled a public hearing for June 3 to consider a proposal to convert seven commercial condominium units into seven residential condominium units using the local implementation of the state's affordable-housing density bonus (Section 2-30-703).
BH2M engineer Austin Fagan presented the project on behalf of owner Jackson Browne. Fagan said the September 2023 state policy enabling an affordable-housing density bonus is the basis for the application and that the applicant intends to designate the one-bedroom units as the long-term affordable units. He said four units will be offered as affordable units under the proposed financial/bookkeeping approach discussed with staff.
Planning staff asked the board to consider how long-term monitoring and affordability controls will be documented and enforced for the next 30 years. Staff noted the prior project at 12 School Street used MaineHousing and other programmatic tools to ensure affordability; staff asked that the applicant provide a monitoring plan and the mechanism by which units will be tracked and retained as affordable.
The board voted to find the application complete and set a public hearing for June 3. The applicant and staff will work on documentation of the affordability monitoring and any programmatic agreements necessary to satisfy Section 2-30-703 standards.
Why it matters: The application uses the city's affordable-housing density bonus to convert commercial space into residential units, increasing housing supply and reserving units at restricted rents or incomes. The boardmust be satisfied that long-term affordability will be enforceable, and the June 3 hearing will review proposed monitoring, deed restrictions or programmatic agreements.
Actions and next steps: Planning staff and the applicant will prepare documentation describing the affordability restrictions, monitoring plan and enforcement mechanism; the board will hold a public hearing June 3, 2025 to weigh completeness materials and make a final decision.
