The Town Council voted Nov. 24 to adopt amendments to Chapter 3.15.13 (Office Commercial South) recommended by the Planning Board, initiating a pilot to align the zone with LD 18-29 requirements and to encourage mixed-use development in a specific southern area of the district.

Town Planner Bridget Perry told the council the district is largely built out and that LD 18-29 compliance would make redevelopment and moderate-density housing financially feasible in a small portion of the OCS district. Bridget said the revisions streamline lot standards, reduce setbacks and expand permitted uses — including restaurants, cafes and small grocery stores — intended to support walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods.

Nina Weil of Hebert Development and the Planning Board’s chair Peter Bingham both spoke in favor. Weil said the amendments would help create housing for Cumberland’s working middle class at price points developers can deliver: “The density provisions in these amendments... make it financially feasible to build housing at a price point between subsidized affordable housing and the current median,” she said, pointing to a target price range in the mid‑$400,000s to mid‑$500,000s discussed in the presentation.

Councilors debated timing: several urged waiting to see state rulemaking expected in January, while others argued a pilot will give the town bench‑marks and enable controlled, local planning. One councilor asked staff to limit effective dates for some changes (the council discussed setting a July 1, 2026 effective date for selected provisions). The council approved the Office Commercial South amendments and a related package of zoning updates that included multiplex-dwelling and conversion provisions.

What happens next: staff and the Planning Board will track projects in the pilot area and report back; the council also asked staff to coordinate implementation details and effective dates to align with state rules where practicable.