ROCKPORT — They vary in size, but their intents are similar: Housing to fill a needed niche in Maine.

There are, however, concerns raised by at least one citizen for the scale of a proposed Habitat for Humanity development currently proposed for Commercial Street, adjacent to the former Hoboken Gardens property.

Rockport's Planning Board will address the three developments when it convenes June 26 at 5:30 p.m. in the Geoffrey C. Parker Meeting Room at the Rockport Opera House, 6 Central Street, in Rockport Village. The meeting is to be streamed live. Written public comments regarding agenda items should be sent in advance of the meeting either via email to othomas@rockportmaine.gov or via mail to 101 Main St. Rockport, ME 04856 Attention Planning Board.

First on the agenda is the 1113 Commercial St street project, property owned by Chelsea Market Realty LLC and represented by Chuck Campbell of Chuck Campbell Architect PLLC, of Waldoboro. The project involves the construction of a single duplex on 1.42-acre lot in Glen Cove near the Rockland city line. A home already exists on that parcel, and the number of units would increase from two to four.

The second agenda item concerns the major subdivision and housing development of Mid-Coast Habitat for Humanity, which has submitted a preliminary plan to the town. The proposed Compass Point Subdivision at 270 Commercial Street consists of one residential lot and one mixed business lot.

According to documents submitted to the town office, the: "lot will be subdivided by buildings with a condominium form of ownership. The mixed business lot is slated for a daycare use, but will not be developed at this time. The lots will be served by public water, public sewer, and underground utilities."

In February, Habitat for Humanity told the Rockport Planning Board that its plans for subdividing the 3.82 acre parcel on Commercial Street include building 10 new single family homes and a daycare facility. Access is to be provided by a 700-foot-long road that is 20-feet wide and ends in a T-turnaround. The homes are to be tied into public water and sewer, and be equipped with underground utilities.

It was noted in the introductory letter to the Planning Board that the Town of Rockport intends to install a public sewer main on Commercial Street with a grant from the Northern Border Regional Commission (Northern Border Regional Commission is a federal-state partnership for economic and community development in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York). Details about that grant are still pending, the plans said.

According to plan submissions, the development would add traffic of approximately  250 average daily trips and 25 trips at the peak hour.

"This amount of traffic will not adversely impact the level of service of Commercial Street," plans said. An entrance permit has been approved by the Maine Dept. of Transportation, according to the plans.

The development:" proposes to impact a small portion of the freshwater wetlands on site (less than 4,300 square feet) and an NRPA [Natural Resources Protection Act] permit from Maine Dept. of Environmental Protection is not required. The wetland impacts have been minimized and do not adversely affect the quality of the wetland," the application said.

Funding for the Compass Point project was assured by Midcoast Habitat for Humanity's Executive Director Tia Anderson, who told Rockport in the application that: "Midcoast Habitat for Humanity has a proven record of financial capability, having built 61 houses on budget with no foreclosures to date. Our long-standing relationship with Camden National Bank, as well as other community banks and Maine Housing, is proof of this as well. Camden National Bank services a majority of our mortgages and in recent years has partnered with us to establish an affordable mortgage program exclusive to Habitat, which we have now implemented with Bar Harbor Bank & Trust and Machias Savings. This program enables us to receive cash at closing for a designated number of house sales annually, funding acquisition and production, rather than holding all Habitat mortgages collecting payments over 30 years."

Camden National Bank affirmed that relationship, saying, "Mid-Coast Habitat for Humanity, Inc has been a customer of Camden National Bank since 1994. Over the past 30 years we have successfully partnered with them on numerous projects, all of which were handled professionally and as agreed. It is our opinion, they have the financial capacity and expertise to successfully close and complete the proposed project in Rockport, Maine."

On June 21, a neighbor of the proposed development wrote to Rockport Planning Director Orion Thomas, outlining concerns.

"As you are aware, we oppose this project due to its inappropriate size and disregard for our privacy by the intended deforesting of the border of our property without any plan to include fencing and vegetation," wrote Robert Long. "That should be an absolute requirement to mitigate the noise and light pollution that the childcare center and housing will create to our property which is a violation of Rockport ordinances. I see that the new information that is part of the scheduling of this meeting includes copies of notices to abutters, such as ourselves, of this meeting. My main question is why aren't the residents of Pascal Avenue that will likewise be impacted by this project not also notified of this meeting and given the chance to have their voices heard?"

Long suggested names of various nearby residents along Pascal Ave. and West Street whom he felt the town should alert.

"While these other property owners don't directly abut the Habitat project affected lots, this development will surely have high impact on their ability to enjoy their properties," Long wrote. "I hope that this meeting, as the one in February 2025, will afford the public the opportunity to share their viewpoints as we are directly aware that several existing property owners are also not in favor of this proposal."

The third subdivision housing development set of details the Rockport Planning Board will consider June 26 concerns a project at 242 Commercial Street that the Board approved May 22 at its regularly scheduled meeting.

Ben Todd, of Rock Harbor Management, had outlined plans in May to convert a former motel, Rockport Suites, which is close to the intersection of Routes 1 and 90, to 21 apartments. The parcel also abuts the Mid-Coast Habitat for Humanity Compass Point subdivision land.

No change to the existing building's footprint is to be made.

The apartments are to be heated via solar arrays and heat pumps, and be renamed, "The Birches at Rockport."

"Rock Harbor Management is a Midcoast-based owner and operator of multifamily apartment buildings," wrote Todd, in May 15 letter to the Planning Board. "We strive to provide quality housing for our residents while also improving neighborhoods. We do this by renovating existing properties with timeless, durable materials and through our sustainability efforts while providing our residents with best-in-class amenities.

"Our properties are located in wonderful market communities. Typically, prior to our ownership, properties are underperforming and falling short of the community in which they are located. We want our properties to set a high standard of quality housing for others to follow."

Todd reported that his company has a purchase and sale agreement with Ocean View Sunset LLC for the 3.26-acre property and intends to create "long-term, multi-family units" there.

The exterior is to be repainted; the parking lot paved and minimal landscaping made. Rock Harbor Management is to maintain ownership of the property and the occupancy of the apartments is for one to two tenants and per code, minutes of the May 22 meeting said.

In addition to the three housing projects, the Rockport Planning Board is to review sections 300 and 900 of the Rockport Land Use Ordinance, and discuss the comprehensive plan.

"The Planning Board is cleaning up some definitions and working on the dimensional table," said Thomas, about the pending discussing of Sections 300 and 900. "Nothing formal has been proposed yet. At this meeting, the Planning Board will be working on editing and further discussion of these Chapters."

They will also discuss a letter received from Rockport resident Mary Orear, who suggests Rockport address the concern of homeowners whose land abuts business properties.

"I wish to have the Land Use Ordinance changed to include specifications for businesses that abut homeowners' properties so as to protect the property values of these owners," she wrote. "Currently the ordinances specify in detail what businesses may and may not do in the front of their properties, those facing the streets, to protect the town's appearance. However, no Ordinance protects the homeowners from businesses that may currently exist or move in and choose to leave the rear of their businesses an unsightly mess. I believe that equal consideration and protection should be given to homeowners who live behind these same businesses through a specific Ordinance."