CAMDEN — Attorney Paul Gibbons is asking the Camden Planning Board to consider a zoning amendment that would enable the development, and sale, of a large home on Mountain Street as three apartments.

Gibbons is discussing the proposal on behalf of his clients with the planning board at its regularly scheduled July 23 meeting, which begins at 5 p.m. in the Washington Street Conference Room. The meeting also includes a review of other proposed ordinance changes, as well as ongoing edits to the town’s comprehensive plan update.

Any forward movement on Gibbons’ proposed amendment would require public hearings and a town-wide vote, but he is beginning the conversation now, with an eye toward the November warrant.

The house, owned by Robert and Maria Zontini, is 7,200 square feet in size and sits on .31 acres. It was built in 1903, was once a hospital and then a nursing home.

“The Zontinis have done considerable work to resurrect this once grand home and they now wish to sell the property,” wrote Gibbons, in a July 15 memo to the Camden Planning Board. “Unfortunately, the house is prohibitively large to sell as one or even two units.”

The Zontinis, he wrote, want to sell the house as three units, and he is proposing amendment language to accommodate the sale of the conforming, and grandfathered, house and lot.

The amendment reads: “A structure built prior to the enactment of this ordinance, which contains more than 5,000 square feet of living area, may contain multiple residential units within the structure provided that the minimum lot area per dwelling unit is 4,000 square feet. The footprint of the structure may not be expanded, and the height of the structure may not be expanded. The structure, as it exists, may exceed the maximum lot coverage and the front yard, side and rear setback requirements and the height requirements of the district.”

Gibbons noted in his memo that the amendment limits the affect on the character and quality of the Village District, “while tapping into unrealized growth potential.”

He said that in the district, there are four properties of more than 5,000 square feet of living space constructed prior to 1992, on small lots.

“The size of the lots would otherwise prohibit the houses’ conversion to multiple units because there is not sufficient land to satisfy the current ordinance provision mandating a minimum lot area per dwelling unit of 7,500 square feet.”

He said the affected four are historic homes that should be protected.

The best way to protect them, he added, is to offer flexible use and opportunity to owners. He cited the expensive maintenance and heating of the properties as single homes, or “even double family dwellings.”

“Therefore, if the ordinance is not changed, there exists a very likely possibility that these homes will be razed in favor of building smaller, more manageable homes on the property,” and thus, “cause significant and avoidable loss of character and value to Camden.”

Gibbons also cited the town’s comprehensive plan directive to the planning board to investigate standards of design for greater density of development and village environment, as well as the town’s land use plan to encourage adaptive resuse of buildings.

He said the town’s population has decreased precipitously over the last several years, and that adding affordable apartments is important to attracting new families and people to the community.

 The full agenda follows:

PUBLIC INPUT ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS

MINUTES:

July 9, 2015

POSSIBLE ORDINANCE AMENDMENTS:

Proposed Clarification Amendments: Review and schedule Public Input Meeting:

Steve Wilson

Request for an amendment to Article VIII: Section 7 Traditional Village District: Paul Gibbons

Schedule of joint public hearing with Select Board on Zoning Ordinance and Harbor Ordinance amendments

Adjourn and Reconvene as the Comprehensive Plan Committee

PUBLIC INPUT ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS

PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD

1ST Round:

Chapter 20 (Planning): Robin McIntosh and John Scholz

Chapter 22 (Regional Cooperation): Richard Bernhard

Chapter 24 (Town Government): Jean Freedman-White

CHAPTER 18: FUTURE LAND USE: Lowrie Sargent

Discussion only of concept and State requirements -- not of draft

SCHEDULE OF REVIEW/COMPLETION: Lowrie Sargent

OTHER:

1. Status of hiring an editor

Adjourn and Reconvene as Planning Board if there are items for Discussion:

DISCUSSION:

Next regular meeting: Aug. 4,: Planning Board; Aug. 11, Comp Plan Workshop

Reach Editorial Director Lynda Clancy at lyndaclancy@penbaypilot.com; 207-706-6657