ON SITE WORK BEGINS AT YWCA HOUSING PROJECT IN BAR HARBOR
Hamilton Station Project Should Be Presented to Planning Board this Summer
BAR HARBOR—The first of two houses at the former Hamilton Station property has been demolished with the second scheduled to come down shortly. The demolition is part of the early plan to prepare the site for the eventual year-round rental housing project in the works by the YW MDI.
“There was hope early on that the houses could be saved and renovated,” said YW Executive Director Jackie Davidson, “but severe mold issues and deferred maintenance made that impossible.”
The YW’s Hamilton Station steering committee has been working with a team of professionals for months on formulating a plan to meet the overwhelming need for year-round rental housing on Mount Desert Island. The committee and consultants are carefully reviewing all aspects of the project including such concerns as water, sewer, lot coverage, and building costs. There have been several meetings with Bar Harbor town officials to prepare for a site plan review at the Planning Board’s July meeting, the YW said.
“We want to do this right,” said Steering Committee Chair Allie Bodge. “One of the most important things to the YW is that an array of community members needs are met. Our dream is that the renters have a great sense of neighborhood with community gardens and walking trails that will also be open to the public.
The MDI YW purchased the property in 2023 after looking for some time for an opportunity to be a part of the solution to one of the biggest problems and challenges facing the island.
“We started thinking small,” said YW Board President Ann Worrick. “Originally, we were thinking of purchasing an existing two to three unit building and making it available to year-round people who did not qualify for subsidized housing but who did not earn enough to purchase a home in the escalating market. This group is referred to as the ‘missing middle’ in housing discussions. Suddenly we had the opportunity to make a much larger and impactful statement with the purchase of Hamilton Station and the Board embraced it and all agreed it was time.”
The YW is working to set up gatherings with neighbors and interested parties at the property later this summer to answer questions once the initial plans and drawings are complete. The current goal is to keep the iconic barns to maintain a sense of place and history at the site.
Like many communities across Maine and the United States, Bar Harbor has a problem with housing. There isn’t enough of it for seasonal employees. There isn’t enough of it for year-round residents. And what there is? It mostly isn’t affordable for median wage earners or first-time home owners. Currently, Zillow lists 32 properties in Bar Harbor for sale. Only four homes are listed for under $500,000.
LINKS TO LEARN MORE
Islander article about tentative plans for the site
Another Earlier housing article
If you’d like to donate to help support us, you can, but no pressure! Just click here.