Why we support the St. George Community Development Corporation’s (StG CDC’s) proposed housing development off of Kinney Woods Road.

Most town residents agree that people who want to live and work in St. George need more affordable housing options. It is very, very challenging to find a reasonably-priced house to buy in St. George now. We want and need teachers, mechanics, fishermen, nurses and others to be able to live here.  We can’t have it both ways – we can’t complain that we don’t want the peninsula to consist of only millionaires and short-term rentals, then oppose a project that would allow a working family a reasonable housing option.

The project on the table involves the town transferring a portion of the 78-acre parcel now owned by the town to the StG CDC for the express purpose of building workforce housing.   The town bought the parcel in 2002 for $81,000.  We would transfer only so much of the parcel as is necessary for the StG CDC to build seven residential units on the property.  The town would retain ownership of the remainder.

If the StG CDC were not able to construct a workforce housing project on the transferred parcel within 10 years, ownership would revert to the town.

This is a unique opportunity because it is likely the only town-owned parcel sufficient in size for such a development.   Also, for the first time in decades, the state and federal governments have made significant housing grants available for more affordable housing projects. It is worth taking advantage of these opportunities.

The town has no other plans for this property, much of which is wetlands and unavailable for development of any kind (other than perhaps nature trails). This property has remained undeveloped since it was acquired by the town in 2002 with no attendant benefit to our community (lost property tax income about $20,000).  The StG CDC’s development would produce revenue generating affordable workforce housing for our town, as new owners become tax paying members of our community ($13,986 per year if the 7 residences were valued at $180,000 each, for example). 

The only cost to St. George taxpayers is the portion of what we paid for the entire parcel in 2002.  All closing and development expenses would be paid by the StG CDC.  

The StG CDC has posted graphics and information about the project on its website and provided those to the Select Board and the community.  These are also available on the town website. Some aspects of how the development would proceed are not yet available because the StG CDC needs to own the property before it can spend the $40,000+ to determine well and septic placement, avoid all designated wetlands, and other info needed to determine exactly how many acres are needed to construct seven residences.   Also, the StG CDC cannot apply for grants to build the project until it owns the property.  Those funding sources will determine some aspects of the project, like the exact criteria for ownership.  But the StG CDC has told the community that it will not accept funding that restricts the criteria to an unacceptable degree.

Yes, to vote in favor of this we must trust the St. George Community Development Corporation to do what it says it is going to do. Because of the wonderful work the StG CDC has done in this town – the food pantry, community meals, free dental clinics, increasing broadband access, exercise and healthy living classes, providing assistance to residents about health insurance and many other questions, helping people whose homes have burned down, PortClydeStrong fundraising, etc. –we are persuaded that we can trust the StG CDC. (Moreover, the transfer is contingent on them building workforce housing.  They could not do anything else with it.)

For these reasons, we supported putting this property transfer on the May 13 ballot and will personally vote for it. Transferring a piece of this town-owned parcel to create workforce housing is one thing that we, as a community, can do to help maintain the character of this town.

St. George Select Board members

Jane Conrad

Van Thompson 

Steve Cartwright