Bangor planning board recommends allowing private schools, training and recreation on major arterials in rural zone

The City of Bangor Planning Board on Sept. 2 voted 6-1 to recommend that the City Council amend the land development code to permit private schools, training facilities and recreational uses as conditional uses only on major arterials in the Rural, Residential and Agricultural (RNA) district.

The recommendation matters because it would change where nonresidential uses can locate in a district the city describes as primarily rural and residential, and it was prompted by interest from a potential applicant, Versant, that owns property on Union Street in the RNA district. If the council approves the change, future individual projects would still require conditional-use review by the planning board and additional public notice to nearby property owners.

Director of Development Anne Krieg told the board the proposal is governed by state statute and by the city's 2022 comprehensive plan. Krieg said, "The state statute governs the way, municipalities in the state of Maine, review and act upon, zoning changes or in this case, land development code changes." She explained the amendment would add the three uses but limit them to major arterials and require planning-board conditional-use review so the…