Camden boards begin zoning overhaul to respond to state housing mandates

Camden officials kicked off a joint workshop Dec. 16 to begin a coordinated rewrite of the town's zoning code and to align that work with a forthcoming comprehensive-plan update, planning staff said.

Jeremy Martin, Camden's planning and development director, told members of the Select Board and Planning Board that recent state mandates have repeatedly required towns to expand allowable housing types and densities. "The state has said we need somewhere about 83,000 dwelling units," Martin said, adding that earlier laws already forced the town to add density and accessory dwelling units.

Why it matters: town staff said the state's housing mandates create a compressed policy environment in which Camden must weigh infrastructure capacity, preservation of neighborhood character and the economics of construction. Martin and board members stressed that zoning changes alone will not deliver housing without financing, developer interest and adequate sewer or water capacity.

The planners flagged several near-term tasks. Staff said they will:

- Review ordinance language tied to LD203 and later bills so local rules conform with state thresholds and definitions, including changes to subdivision thresholds and workforce-housing provisions. - Move toward a broad code modernization that clarifies confusing definitions (for example, "street level" and "building height") and removes ad hoc provisions that no longer reflect current uses. - Consider administrative reforms such as requiring as-built surveys or engineer/surveyor certificates of compliance for substantial projects so the town can verify setbacks and lot coverage after construction.

The board discussed process and sequencing. Martin said the rewrite is likely an 18-month-plus project and that staff are budgeting modest amounts now to support comp-plan work. "Our comp plan is due in 2030; it takes years to do it right," he said. Town staff recommended a small working group of select-board and planning-board members to vet drafts before they go to the full boards.

Parking and by-right vs. conditional review: planners noted a public hearing scheduled for Thursday will consider removing minimum parking requirements for dwelling units across the town. Proponents argued that eliminating such minima reduces land and construction costs and promotes infill; others cautioned that downtown businesses and residents could face on-street parking pressure if large new developments provide no on-site parking. Staff said removing minima does not prevent developers from building parking if the market demands it.

Incentives and state limits: multiple participants said incentives and infrastructure investments will be necessary for projects to be viable in Camden's high-cost coastal context. Martin used Westbrook as an example of a community that had to shrink its growth-area mapping because sewer capacity constrained development, saying the town needs resources if state zoning mandates are to produce actual units. The Select Board discussed whether contract zoning, impact-fee structures or developer community-benefit agreements (in-lieu payments, unit set-asides or tax incentives) could be used to secure affordable or workforce units.

Next steps: the Planning Board will continue targeted rule changes (shoreland review, as-built requirements, clarifying definitions) and pursue a longer-term rewrite with public engagement tied to the comprehensive plan. The Select Board and Planning Board agreed to maintain regular communication so planning work does not reach the ballot without prior Select Board input. No formal votes were taken at the workshop.