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Presque Isle Planning Board unanimously tables Chapter 16 code updates after state delays
Summary
Citing a new state law (LD 2173) that shifts the window for local adoption, the Presque Isle Planning Board voted unanimously on May 7 to postpone consideration of proposed updates to Chapter 16 of the Land Use and Development Code until January 2027; members raised concerns about allowing multifamily housing in agricultural and aircraft-hazard zones.
The Presque Isle Planning Board voted unanimously on May 7 to table proposed updates to Chapter 16 of the city’s Land Use and Development Code until the board’s January 2027 meeting, citing a recent state law that changed the timeline for local adoption.
Chair Andy Flewelling read a memo into the record noting that the State of Maine had enacted LD 2173, which pushes back the prior July 1, 2026 adoption timeline into 2027 and affects when municipalities may formally adopt the code changes. Following that update, board members discussed the merits of proceeding now versus delaying local action.
Board member Bruce Roope said he supported tabling the matter and told colleagues he believed the state action was reducing local control. Roope also raised specific objections to proposed language that would permit multi‑family dwellings in the Agricultural Zone and in the Aircraft Hazard Zone, saying those provisions warranted further review. Vice Chair Tim Vernon proposed tabling the changes indefinitely until the State clarified the final form of the legislation; Roope suggested a more concrete deadline of the January 2027 Planning Board meeting.
Tim Vernon moved to table the proposed changes until the January 2027 Planning Board meeting; Ward Gerow seconded. The motion passed unanimously, with the chair and all members present voting in favor.
On routine business, the board approved the April 16, 2026 meeting minutes with amendments after a sequence of motions by Bruce Roope, Tim Vernon and Dave Perry; those motions also passed unanimously. The board heard no citizen comments, had no additional other business, and adjourned at approximately 6:15 p.m. after a unanimous motion to close the meeting.
The board’s next recorded step on this item is to revisit the Chapter 16 updates in January 2027 unless the board or city staff place the matter on an earlier agenda; no formal referral to the city council or final adoption vote was recorded at this meeting.
