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Bangor staff outline housing webpage updates and a 70‑unit Grand View project; pre‑approved plans go underused
Summary
City staff described an updated housing information webpage, a development plan for the former nursery lot on Grand View covering about 13 acres and currently targeting roughly 70 units aimed at households at about 80–120% AMI; staff also noted pre‑approved building plans funded with ARPA were underused and need outreach.
Ann Craig, director of community economic development for Bangor City, and other staff briefed attendees on a suite of housing updates including a redesigned city webpage that tracks dwelling units, recent studies and pre‑approved plans intended to speed housing construction.
"Right now we're looking at about 70 units," Ann Craig said, describing the Grand View (former nursery lot) project under review. Staff said the site is roughly 13 acres, the city will remain the applicant until roadway work is complete, and the development agreement requires council review before the project proceeds to the planning board. The project’s current plan mixes about a dozen single‑family homes with two apartment buildings and targets households roughly in the 80%–120% area median income range; staff said some outside financing and ARPA funds are being used to close the gap.
Attendees also discussed a set of city‑funded pre‑approved building plans (ADUs and three‑ and four‑unit models) developed with ARPA dollars to reduce permitting time. Staff said the plans required code updates after a statutory change in state density rules and have seen little uptake. One attendee said the city spent "like 180 something thousand in a year" on pre‑approved plans that had not yet been used and urged a marketing campaign to promote them.
Participants noted other projects in the region, including senior housing near Sunset and a Glenburn project for 55+ residents, and raised a consistent concern: high construction costs are making some developments financially infeasible. A developer reportedly told staff that Bangor faces "Boston pricing" for construction without comparable rents, which limits private market activity. Staff emphasized that building in established in‑town locations reduces site work costs and can lower overall expense.
Staff said they will continue to process the Grand View development agreement and present it to city council when the developer’s pro forma and final package are ready; no formal council action was taken at this meeting.
