BELFAST — The Belfast City Council will meet for its regularly scheduled meeting Tuesday, March 18, to address a variety of agenda items, including a presentation on the proposed amendments to the City code of Ordinances, according to Belfast City Manager Erin Herbig's pre-meeting report. The presentation pertains to a proposed transitional housing facility to be located at 23 Mill Lane, where the United Methodist Church is located. 

The possibility of a transitional housing facility in Belfast was discussed at the regular Jan. 7 Council meeting, at which time some of the project’s supporters, the Midcoast Maine Homeless Coalition, were given questions to review, research, and address at the Jan. 21, meeting. During the Jan. 21, meeting the Council directed City staff to begin to work on the necessary ordinance amendments.

The Planning Board reviewed the required changes the following day, and at its March 4 regular meeting, the Council unanimously approved the first reading of proposed amendments in the City Code of Ordinances, according to Herbig's report. 

Following the presentation, a public hearing regarding the proposed ordinance amendments will be held. All interested persons are invited to participate in the public hearing, and will be given an opportunity to be heard at the specified time. 

There will be a second reading of the proposed amendments following the public hearing, at which time the Council may discuss, amend, table, or approve the second reading. If approved, Director of Code and Planning Bub Fournier recommends that a motion be made to approve the second reading of the proposed amendments.

Fournier will be present at the meeting to answer any questions. 

Fournier has also requested that the fees for all building, electrical, and planning board permits be waived for the proposed transitional housing facility. Additiionally, the Midcoast Maine Homeless Coalition requested a waiver for $500 planning board permit fees.

A second, unrelated, presentation will take place during the meeting, this one on the proposed ordinance amendments for Chapter 30, Marine Activities, which would specify that any marine vessel certified to carry 50 or more passengers shall not be allowed to embark or disembark guest passengers, including tender, at the City Landing or other City property or marine facilities. 

A public hearing on the proposed ordinance amendments will follow the presentation, according to City Manager Herbig’s pre-meeting report. This will be followed by a second reading of the proposed ordinance amendments. 

Details regarding the proposed amendments can be found in Herbig's full pre-meeting report.

Later in the meeting there will be a discussion and potential action taken regarding the 2025 Summer Curbside Belfast Program, which allows downtown restaurants to convert a number of business adjacent parking spaces into outdoor dining areas. 

The Deputy Economic Development Director Joellen Warren has requested approval to apply for Community Enterprise Program funds to implement a business facade improvement program. The program is under the State's Community Development Block Grant Program.

According to the request, the CE Program disburses grant funds to municipalities as a way to assist business facade programs, and to make “streetscape improvements in downtown areas.” This assistance can come in the form of loans or grants, at the discretion of the community. 

Streetscape is defined as the appearance or view of a street.

It is noted that the City has implemented facade improvement program successfully in the the past, with funds being disbursed in 2013, 2020, and 2021, from the CDBG CE Program.

The funds allowed building owners to make exterior improvements to 10 downtown buildings. Buildings that have received facade improvement funds in the past will not be eligible to receive additional funds. 

DED Director Joellen Warren will be present at the meeting to answer any questions.

View City Manager Erin Herbig’s pre-meeting report and relevant documents on the City website.

Erica Thoms can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com