Planning board unanimously approves 60‑unit Waldo Cap project at 45 Belmont Ave; waivers and conditions attached

The Belfast Planning Board on Aug. 13 unanimously approved a final site plan and use permit for a 60‑unit affordable housing building proposed by Waldo Community Action Partners (Waldo Cap) at 45 Belmont Avenue.

City planner Alexandra Sykes told the board that the applicant had submitted revisions requested at the July preliminary review and that the Department of Environmental Protection had issued the required stormwater permit for the revised impervious area. Donna Kelly of Waldo Cap and project engineer Ben Bonneson (Acorn Engineering) described a plan that includes a three‑story, 60‑unit wood‑frame building with a mix of one‑, two‑ and three‑bedroom units, seven accessible units, a playground and a community room. The revised site layout incorporated a 16‑foot fire access lane requested by the fire chief, which reduced total parking by one space to 62 spaces; the plan also adds a bus stop on the property and expanded landscaping to meet buffering requirements.

The board considered two technical waivers requested by the applicant: seven compact parking spaces of 9×16 feet instead of 9×18, and a reduction of the drive‑aisle width from 26 feet to 24 feet. Both waivers were moved, seconded and approved unanimously.

The project team outlined financing expected to support the development. Development consultant Dave Pelton said the financing package relies on Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) as the primary funding source, supplemented by a MaineHousing loan and other grants; Pelton noted that LIHTC applications are competitive and that planning board approval is a prerequisite for scoring.

Conditions attached to approval include: provision of DEP stormwater permit paperwork to the city, revised cross‑easement language for shared access and maintenance with the abutting Tractor Supply parcel, finalization of a maintenance/snow‑removal agreement, and cooperative planning with the city for an off‑site sidewalk extension. The applicant offered to escrow $20,000 or 25% of the lowest construction bid (whichever is less) to assist the city with a pedestrian connection from the Belfast Soup Kitchen to the shared access drive; the board required that an alternative plan be agreed with the board before any certificate of occupancy if the sidewalk is not constructed in time.

Board members voted to approve the findings of fact, the conditions of approval and the site plan and use permit; all votes were unanimous.

Next steps: applicant to finalize cross‑easement and maintenance agreement, provide a copy of the DEP permit to staff and coordinate with the city on the sidewalk escrow and any final construction permits.