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Planning board briefed on LD1829 and schedules extra meetings to update zoning and the comp plan
Summary
Staff briefed the board on LD1829, a new state law requiring higher density (minimum units per lot) in growth areas served by sewer and water and capping minimum lot sizes at 5,000 sq ft. The board scheduled additional review meetings and will consider ordinance updates to align chapter 60 with the state law and the upcoming comprehensive plan.
Planning staff briefed the Auburn Planning Board on LD1829, a new Maine law that changes density and minimum-lot-size requirements in designated growth areas served by sewer and water. The law requires a minimum of four dwelling units per lot in growth areas and forbids local minimum lot sizes exceeding 5,000 square feet for such lots, prompting staff to propose changes to chapter 60 of the city’s code.
Sam (planning coordinator) told the board that the city’s comprehensive plan identifies growth areas and that most sewer-and-water service areas fall within those boundaries. Staff recommended additional planning-board and public workshops to review proposed ordinance changes and to coordinate the comp‑plan adoption and zoning amendments during the summer and into the fall.
Board members expressed that the change will be a substantial workload because it touches multiple zoning standards (density, road frontage, design types and landscaping), and staff committed to circulating track‑change materials and a zoomable map for board review. The board preliminarily scheduled an extra meeting in late May (a special session) and planned multiple sessions through the summer to draft recommendations to the city council.
