Rangeley committee asks select board to form housing study group to quantify needs

After an extended discussion about whether to join a regional effort or assemble a local team, the Rangeley Comprehensive Plan Implementation Committee voted unanimously March 23 to ask the board of selectmen to create a housing study group to quantify housing needs and identify sites and funding sources.

Members said zoning changes alone will not solve workforce or attainable housing shortages and recommended a focused, time-bound study to estimate how many units are needed, what types of housing would meet local demand, and where land parcels might be available. The motion, made by Chris and seconded by Reed, directed staff to draft a recommendation for the select board that would specify the study group’s charge, membership and reporting expectations.

Committee members discussed two paths: joining a regional organization referenced in the meeting record (identified in the transcript as "Western Main/Mountain Housing") to leverage existing studies, or establishing a local work group that could produce a Rangely-specific needs assessment. Members suggested that the study should aim to produce usable numbers (for example, the transcript records an offhand estimate of 'about 40 units shy' of meeting demand for one participant) and identify likely funding sources and potential land parcels.

The committee requested that the select board establish the study group, define its scope and appoint members; staff will prepare a memo and draft language for the select board to consider. The committee set a follow-up expectation that the study group report back with quantified needs and recommended next steps.