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Selectmen send affordable‑housing ordinance amendments to November ballot after brief hearing
Summary
Changes expand where affordable housing developments can be built, add a statutory definition, reduce certain buffers and include covenants to preserve affordability; the selectmen voted to forward the ordinance to the Nov. 4 ballot.
WELLS, Maine — The Wells Board of Selectmen voted to send proposed changes to the town’s affordable‑housing ordinance to the Nov. 4 special election after a joint public hearing with the Planning Board.
Mike (staff member) summarized the draft revisions, saying the ordinance adds a definition of “affordable housing development” that mirrors state statute standards and expands locations where such developments can be established. Under the draft, affordable housing developments would be allowed in RA, RC and GB zoning districts in areas designated as growth areas in the town plan (the transcript references a local plan acronym). The proposal also includes restrictive covenants intended to keep units affordable in perpetuity; the state statute referenced a 30‑year minimum but the town’s draft would require longer commitments.
Other edits reduce buffer requirements that the current ordinance tied to street frontage, bringing setback rules in line with district structure and conforming to state law. As with the ADU discussion earlier in the meeting, the draft also includes a minimum lease period (12 months) for rental units intended to ensure year‑round tenancy rather than short‑term vacation rentals.
There were no public comments during the hearing. After discussion selectmen voted 5–0 to move the proposed affordable‑housing ordinance amendments, as written, to the warrant certification phase for the Nov. 4, 2025 secret‑ballot vote.
Why it matters: The revisions implement state law expectations and broaden where affordable housing projects can be sited locally, while the restrictive covenant and minimum lease provisions are intended to preserve long‑term affordability and reduce the risk that town‑approved housing becomes short‑term or vacation rental stock.
Next steps: The selectmen forwarded the ordinance to the warrant certification process; the proposal will appear on the Nov. 4 ballot for voter approval.
