KENNEBUNK – The Abode Communities Kennebunk sketch plan was challenged on many fronts during the August 10 planning board meeting. The Alewive Road project was fifth on the agenda and did not come up until 9:20 pm. Nevertheless, the session was well attended and the board spent over an hour questioning many aspects of the proposal. For background, please see the earlier article in The Local News here. The focal points of the review were as follows:

Affordability and ownership conditions – The very foundation of the proposal, a reduction in many subdivision standards in exchange for affordability, seemed to be on shaky ground from the outset.

Drew Gagnon, spokesman for Abode Communities, acknowledged that the initial sketch plan presentation of an “affordable” three bedroom manufactured home with a one or two car garage at a price point of $450,000 would not meet the requirements for affordability according to the Kennebunk zoning ordinance. The ordinance defines affordability in terms of “shelter expenses” relative to the median income for nonmetropolitan York County. Shelter expenses include mortgage, rental costs, taxes, insurance and utilities. He suggested two possible solutions – a modification of the requirements in the ordinance and/or a significant downsizing of the affordable homes (mandated at 50% of the project) to a “singlewide” two bedroom without a garage.

Town staff acknowledged that legal counsel would have to determine whether modification of the affordability parameters is possible. Deputy Director of Community Development Lee Jay Feldman also questioned whether recent state statutes – LD 2003 and LD 1829 – override the 36-year-old Kennebunk ordinance. One example, LD 2003, specifies at least 30 years of affordability, which is in sharp contract to the Kennebunk ordinance specifying five years.

Under the Abode business plan (a common mobile home park model), the developer will retain ownership of the land and lease it to the homeowner. The homeowner will own only the structure. It was unclear whether recent state legislation (LD 2231), which addresses mobile home park lot rentals, would affect the Alewive Road proposal.

Environmental constraints – Nearly every member of the board questioned the layout of the plan with regard to numerous wetlands, stream crossings and Ward Brook, which is a major tributary to the Kennebunk River. Chair Chris MacClinchy noted that at least twenty proposed units in the park and three in the subdivision impinge on the wetlands. The unspoken implication of this line of discussion seemed to be the need for a downsizing of the plan in terms of the number of homes proposed.

Open space and internal traffic circulation – Most board members noted that the open space plan did not meet the spirit of the ordinance but rather consisted of pockets of land inaccessible to most units and not organized for recreation.

Several board members also questioned the practical challenges of the 20-foot-wide internal private roadways in terms of access to emergency vehicles, guest parking and snow removal. Also noted was the fact that the planned right-of-way does not allow for sidewalks.

Several board members expressed serious concerns about the limitations of a single major access point off Alewive Road with only the relatively undeveloped Trumans Field Road as a secondary means of egress. There was a strong push for the developer to find alternative means of ingress and egress to the development for the benefit of circulation and access for town services. Board Member Bob Metcalf warned of a “logistical nightmare” for emergency services access.

Impact of West Kennebunk traffic and access to/from the subdivision – Board members expressed concern about the volume of traffic that 199 new homes would add to Alewive and Thompson roads and key intersections like the already congested Thompson Road/Mill Street intersection. Board member Ted Trainer warned of a “monster traffic jam at commuting times.”

Build-out schedule –When asked about the build-out schedule, Gagnon suggested 50 units at a time over over three to four years for a total of 12-14 years starting in the summer of 2027. Board members noted that a project on this scale over that long a period would be significantly disruptive to the surrounding neighborhoods.

Target ownership –Asked whether there would be age restrictions and whether the units would be available as short-term rentals, Gagnon responded that there would be no age restrictions. Bylaws that would dictate whether short-term rentals are allowed have not yet been drafted. Board member Richard Smith noted that if the target owners will be young families, there will be a significant impact on RSU 21. He also stated that he would be “extraordinarily against any project that’s going to allow a whole bunch of short-term rentals. That doesn’t serve any housing needs for our town.”

As the session concluded, Director of Community Development/Town Engineer Chris Osterrieder suggested that as the project moves forward, even if downsized, the town will probably want to commission a community impact study whereby an outside consultant assesses the townwide impact of a development on this scale. Chair MacClinchy seconded that idea, noting that this “is the biggest project the town has seen – maybe ever.”

No further meetings are scheduled at this time. Board Member Janice Vance asked for a rendering of the downsized “singlewide” plan and a list of other Abode communities in Maine and New Hampshire. These are expected to be available from the Kennebunk Community Development office in a few weeks.

A replay of the meeting can be viewed here.