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Committee narrows housing recommendations: encourage ADUs, adjust lot-setbacks and designate growth areas
Summary
Members recommended the plan encourage accessory dwelling units (ADUs), consider reduced setbacks and focus density increases where town water and sewer exist. They also asked staff to update permit data beginning in 2015 and to propose growth-area approaches consistent with state law (LD 2003).
The Rangeley committee edited the housing chapter to emphasize making higher-density housing easier in parts of town served by public water and sewer, encourage accessory dwelling units (ADUs), and consider reduced setbacks in the village to allow more compact development.
Why it matters: committee members said the town's most feasible housing growth will occur where infrastructure already exists. Committee member Chris and others urged changes that allow homeowners in village areas to add ADUs or convert existing buildings into additional units "so that they can actually use their garages and improve their property with, you know, ADUs or in-law apartments that are compliant with the state law," Chris said.
Specific recommendations discussed: the committee suggested (1) focusing growth in village zones and areas with municipal water and sewer; (2) considering reduced side setbacks in the village (example: moving from 20-foot to 10-foot setbacks where appropriate) to increase the number of lots where additional housing is feasible; (3) incentivizing infill and cluster development rather than expanding roads into new forested parcels; and (4) incorporating LD 2003 (Maine’s Growth Management Act) compliance language as relevant to designated growth areas.
Data and technical notes: Carl provided updated building-permit data and staff advised the committee to use 2015 as a consistent starting point for permit trends because the permitting system changed that year. The committee asked staff to include sources for housing-age and building-type statistics within the chapter text.
Outcome: committee members agreed to edit the chapter text to encourage ADUs, to propose targeted growth-area language consistent with LD 2003, and to adjust zoning terminology to enable clearer pathways for increased housing density in served areas. No formal change to zoning ordinances was made; the chapter will present these as recommended approaches for the Select Board to consider.
Ending: staff will assemble the 2015–present permit data and refine draft language on setbacks, ADUs and designated growth areas for the committee’s next meeting.
