Belfast planning board recommends city council adopt ordinance allowing transitional housing at 23 Mill Lane

The Belfast Planning Board voted Feb. 12 to recommend that the City Council adopt draft ordinance language to allow a transitional housing facility at 23 Mill Lane, the United Methodist Church, after a staff-led workshop and a public hearing where neighbors both opposed and supported the proposal.

Planning staff said the draft defines a transitional housing facility as temporary housing that provides supportive services to individuals and families experiencing homelessness and distinguishes it from emergency shelters and hotels. Staff told the board that state plumbing and fire authorities require bathrooms for residential uses to be separate from mixed-use building bathrooms, and proposed that applicants submit a plan showing how bathrooms are laid out rather than prescribing a specific plumbing layout in the ordinance. "The bathrooms for a residential use, and this is a type of residential use, are required to be separate from any mixed use bathrooms in a mixed use building," planning staff said.

Why it matters: the draft would create a site-specific special-use area in the Outside Rural 2 zone that would allow transitional housing at 23 Mill Lane while leaving the wider zoning district unchanged. The board and staff said that approach lets the city test the code change on a single property while retaining the ability to pursue a different path — such as contract rezoning or a district-wide change — later if broader adoption is desired.

Public input: during the hearing, a nearby resident, Charlene (who said she lives at 45 Mill Lane and has experience running transitional programs), urged the board to reject locating the facility near her house, citing concerns about supervision, past drug activity she has observed near her property and potential impacts on neighborhood safety and property values: "I don't want these people living on my street," she said. Another neighbor, Dorothy Colcord of 36 Bayview Street, spoke in favor of the proposal, calling it "a wonderful opportunity to help people who are in need in our community" and noting a shortage of affordable housing.

Key ordinance components discussed: draft Chapter 66 adds definitions for transitional housing; Chapter 14 would provide a licensure pathway (staff described a proposed $50 license fee to be set by council), with inspection, renewal and possible suspension or revocation for noncompliance; Division 10 supplemental regulations in Chapter 102 would supply performance standards (staff described those standards as the "teeth" of the change). Staff said enforcement would rely on permit conditions, inspections and code enforcement follow-up if complaints arise.

Board concerns and clarifications: members pressed for clearer assurances about how the board and code enforcement would verify that an operator meets commitments such as on-site staffing, 24-hour coverage, and emergency response. Several members asked staff to add language requiring applicants to "demonstrate to the board's satisfaction" that their operational plans — not just checklists — will work, and to include emergency closure or response protocols in the application materials. Staff agreed to draft qualifying language that makes the review qualitative, not merely a box-check exercise.

Decision and next steps: after discussion and amendments to clarify review authority, a motion to forward the draft ordinance to the City Council passed; no member voiced opposition during the recorded vote. Planning staff reminded the board that the council process will include additional public hearings and two readings, and that any approved code change would return to the planning board as a site-specific use permit for full development review.

Other business: staff reported upcoming meeting dates, permit activity including demolition and renovations, a small apartment fire at 75 White Street (no injuries; occupants temporarily housed), and that Nordic Aqua Farms had withdrawn a set of aquaculture permits. The board adjourned with the schedule of future meetings set.

The planning board's recommendation sends the draft ordinance to the city council for formal consideration and public hearings.