ROCKPORT — The Rockport Select Board has a lengthy agenda in front of it Tuesday, Oct. 11, including several public hearings on proposed changes to to the town’s land use, harbor and general assistance ordinances, its governing charter, and the creation of a new tax increment financing district along Route 90 to help fund the town’s Economic Development Project, and extend the life of the existing Downtown TIF in Rockport Village. If all are approved at the Oct. 11 public hearings, they will appear before voters on the Nov. 8 town warrant at the polls.

The Select Board is to convene at 6 p.m. in the Geoffrey C. Parker Meeting Room. The meeting will be streamed at vimeo.com/rockportmaine

In addition to a public hearing on proposed amendments to the General Assistance Ordinance, there will be three more public hearings to start off the meeting. They are:

1) Downtown Tax Increment Financing Amendment. This would extend the terms of the existing TIF District in Rockport Village to 30 years, and add broadband infrastructure and environmental improvement projects to the project costs.

2) Public Hearing on the creation of a Route 90 TIF District. The goal of this TIF District, which would include 230 acres, is to financially support several projects totaling $29 million. They are, according to the town’s Economic Development Project, are:

•  Sewer Line Extension, $ 9 million. Costs related to extending the sewer lines in order to increase economic development opportunities along Route 90 from the Camden Hills Regional High School to the intersection of Route 17. Costs include but are not limited to engineering, site work and preparation, and construction. “The existing zoning already promotes commercial and light industrial development,” the Program said. “Sewer allows these lots to have increase density.”

• Sidewalk extension. $3 million. Costs associated with construction of sidewalks. Sidewalks will connect the downtown to the schools, Marge Jones park, and to Route 17. “This amenity will increase opportunities for economic development,” the Program said.

• Fiber extension: $500,000. Costs associated with broadband and fiber optics expansion projects, including preparation, planning, engineering and other related costs in addition to the construction costs of those projects. The District is primarily commercial, with demand and growth opportunity for Fiber internet. 

• Public Infrastructure Streetscape Improvement: $500,000. Costs associated with improving streetscapes in the District, examples would include down lighting lamp posts for sidewalk extensions. To the extent the streetscape project is not located in the District, it is made necessary by or directly related to the District development.

• Water Resource Recovery Facility, $16 million. All costs associated with environmental improvement projects related to commercial activity within the Town. This includes but is not limited to the construction, engineering, site work, and planning for stormwater and wastewater improvements which are made necessary by violations of the Maine Department of Environmental Protection’s sanitary sewer overflow (SSO) regulations by the Town of Camden, where Rockport’s water resource recovery process is currently undertaken. The current system cannot handle the volume of flows that are generated by both Rockport and Camden. A large portion of the additional need for treatment results from activity in the Route 90 District. 

3) A public hearing on the remaining proposed Nov. 8 warrant articles. There are:

• Adding language to the Harbor Ordinance that stipulates: Vessels of forty feet (40’ LOA) or greater will not be assigned a mooring location in the Inner Harbor. Vessels of fifty feet (50’ LOA) or greater will not be assigned a mooring location in the Middle Harbor.

• Amending the language concerning parking in the Land Use Ordinance. Changes include adding:

To assist in considering these factors related to off-street parking, the CEO or Planning Board may order a study of such factors, paid for by the applicant, pursuant to Section 1302.

And removing:

Amendment to 5. Parking Location. No off-site or shared parking, or waiver of parking requirements, shall be approved unless it is supported by an independent traffic study prepared by a qualified professional, hired by the reviewing authority, and paid for by the applicant, which establishes that the parking facility is adequate for the proposed use and any shared use(s) will not cause undue burdens on traffic or parking in the vicinity, and will not cause safety concerns. Notwithstanding 1 M.R.S. section 302, this amendment shall apply to all land uses and all off-site parking facilities that have not received final approval as of 45 days prior to the enactment of this amendment.