Bar Harbor Warrant Committee Recommends Comprehensive Plan & Land Use Amendments
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BAR HARBOR—Back at its March 31 meeting, the Warrant Committee unanimously recommended voters vote in favor of adopting the 2035 Comprehensive Plan. It was Vice Chair Julie Berberian’s last meeting. She has decided to not run again.
“I’ve learned so much all these years,” Berberian said. She thanked the staff for all their openness and eagerness to help her during her years on the committee, most of which she served as the vice chair. She also thanked Christine Smith, the chair, and Louise Lopez, the secretary. “Thank you, Chris, who is the best chair in the world and Louise.”
No members of the public attended.
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
“It’s a quick end to a lot of work,” Christine Smith said of the work of the town’s planning department and Comprehensive Planning Committee to create a roadmap for the town’s future.
According to the town, more than 200 people participated in past engagement during the plan’s development.
“There’s been discussion in various meetings on this,” Warrant Committee General Government Subcommittee Chair Carol Chappell said.
OTHER LAND USE ADJUSTMENTS
Other warrant articles were also recommended. The committee unanimously passed, with little discussion, multiple warrant articles including the land use ordinance amendment on offensive language, time frames and phasing, multifamily 1 and 2 definitions, and fire protection.
“This is another step in the right direction” toward allowing more housing to be developed, committee member Eben Salvatore said of the changes to multifamily 1 and 2 definitions.
SHORT-TERM RENTAL
The committee approved changes to the language related to short-term rentals. This amendment gets rid of obsolete language that was necessary during the transition that introduced the cap on rentals that aren’t primary residences; removes the definition of homestead exemption property because that phrase isn’t used any longer.
It also, according to the town’s website, removes “the ‘length of stay’ language from the definition of Vacation Rental-1 and Vacation Rental-2 and, instead, would address ‘length of stay’ as a stand-alone matter. The minimum length of stay would not change.”
Finally, it refines the definition of primary residence and places “the determination of adequate proof of primary residence in Chapter 174 Short-term Rental Registration.”
SALISBURY COVE CORRIDOR SETBACKS
Changes to the Salisbury Cove Corridor minimum front setback did create discussion. The setback is set from the centerline of the road.
Chappell said she was voting against the setback because she worried that there would be unintended consequences of more development in areas not supported by town water and sewer.
“I don’t think it makes sense to let more development into that area,” Chappell said. “I do not think it’s good to allow any more development in an area that might already be compromised.”
Instead, she said, the town should hold steady until it knows where it stands.
“In many areas we feel there are excessive dimensional requirements that work to exclude certain things to happen,” Planning Director Michele Gagnon said.
Salvatore asked if any development would require a septic study by a licensed septic designer.
All development would, Gagnon said. There is also a minimum distance required between septic systems and wells.
“I just cannot support putting more density into an area that we don’t know can support it,” Chappell said.
The motion passed 11-4 with Chappell, member Robert Chapin, Berberian, and member Vicky Smith voting against.
PLANNING BOARD RECOMMENDATIONS
At the Bar Harbor Planning Board meeting, the board unanimously recommended that the voters adopt the land use amendment concerning offensive language, Salisbury Cove Corridor setback, time frames, multifamily 1 and multifamily 2 definitions, short term rentals, and fire protection.
There was no discussion at this meeting though there had been in past meetings.
LINKS TO LEARN MORE
A link to background information on all the amendments.
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