LINCOLNVILLE – Voters elected two Select Board members June 13 at the polls, incumbent Michael Ray and Robyn Tarantino, and approved affordable housing amendments to the town’s land use ordinance.

Select Board election

Candidates received the following votes for two open seats on the Select Board:

Jean Botley, 175

Michael Ray, 214

Robyn Tarantino, 201

The terms are for three-years.

Edward C. O’Brien, with 289 votes, and John Williams, with 263 votes, were elected to three-year terms on the town’s Budget Committee. No one ran for an open three-year seat, a two-year seat. Leda Stoutenburg was elected to a one-year seat on the Committee with 247 votes. These positions could be filled by write-in candidates.

Tracee O’Brien and Amy Peterson ran for two seats on the Lincolnville School Committee in an uncontested election, and were elected with the following votes: O’Brien, 291; Peterson, 262.

No one ran for a one-year position on the Five Town CSD Committee.

Article 3. Voters approved the Lincolnville Central School (grades K-8) budget referendum, with 304 voting Yes and 36 voting No. 

Voters approved the Five Town CSD budget referendum, with 302 voting Yes and 40 voting No. 

Housing Opportunities

Article 4 Amendments to the town’s Land Use Ordinance for the purpose of increasing housing opportunities were approved by a vote of 270 Yes, 59 No.

The intent of the proposed housing amendments is to have the Town of Lincolnville’s Land Use Ordinance be consistent with State law, according to Town Administrator David Kinney.  The State law was designed to remove unnecessary regulatory barriers to housing production in Maine, while preserving local ability to create land use plans and protect sensitive environmental resources, he said.

Lincolnville’s amendments, “add the ability, under certain circumstances, for a property owner to obtain approval for accessory dwelling unit(s) where and accessory dwelling units (ADU) might not have previously been allowed.”

Now, lots with a single-family dwelling are allowed one accessory dwelling exempt from minimum lot standards, except in the Shoreland Zone. Also allowed would be the building of two additional dwellings, either attached to or separate from the existing dwelling, subject to minimum lot size requirements. Vacant lots may be developed with two dwellings in a single structure or two separate dwellings. Any new housing is subject to town-wide land use standards. 

Regarding affordable housing development, the amendments alter off-street parking requirements and allows for a greater density for dwelling units, both examples of removing unnecessary regulatory barriers to housing production, according to Kinney.

The housing amendments take a step towards defining land use rules that would allow denser housing, such as four-unit subdivisions and affordable housing developments, in locations described in the town’s Comprehensive Plan as ‘designated growth areas.’ However, these growth areas require approval at a town meeting and have not yet been established.

Voting on the municipal budget will take place 6 p.m. June 15 at the in-person Town Meeting, which takes place at the Lincolnville Central School. 523 Hope Road.

At Town Meeting  registered voters have the opportunity to discuss and vote on Articles 6-16, each of which is a separate spending category in the $2.9 million 2023-24 municipal budget.

Voters will also weigh in on using $1.7 million in non-property tax revenues to reduce the tax burden (Article 17), as well remaining Coronavirus Recovery Funds (Articles 18, 19).

The FY  2024 municipal budget document can be viewed here.