Select Board forwards parking minimum and shoreline-definition changes to voters

The Camden Select Board voted to send two state-driven zoning amendments forward after a public hearing: one addressing municipal parking-space minimums and another updating the town’s coastal-wetland definition.

Jeremy Martin, the town’s planning and development director, told the board the changes were driven by state law. LD427 requires municipalities to limit parking-space minimums for residential developments; the planning board advanced an option to remove minimum off-street parking requirements for most dwelling units in growth zones to encourage housing affordability and reduce construction costs. Martin said the planning board had held a workshop and public hearing and voted unanimously to move the ‘zero-minimum’ option forward.

Board members debated whether Camden should adopt the state baseline or go further. Some members said retaining a one-space-per-unit allowance would guard against increased on-street parking; others said eliminating minimums is a useful tool to reduce development costs and support walkable downtown growth. After discussion, the board voted 3–2 to place the parking amendment on the June warrant for voters to decide.

On the second item, LD65 changes the baseline used to identify the shoreland zone from mean high tide to highest astronomical tide. Martin described the shift as largely technical — often inch-scale changes along the coast — and said aligning the town’s code with the Natural Resources Protection Act will reduce permitting confusion. The board voted to approve the coastal-wetland terminology amendment.

What happens next: The parking proposal will appear on the June ballot for voter approval; staff will publish the proposed language and supporting materials in the warrant packet. The shoreland terminology change will be adopted administratively to match state law.