Wells to vote on proposed pause for large-scale housing projects

WELLS, Maine — Voters will decide next month whether to put the brakes on large-scale housing developments in the community until the middle of October.

The Wells Select Board recently set Tuesday, Aug. 6, for a special Town Meeting, during which a moratorium on proposed developments of 45 housing units or more will be the single issue on the ballot.

The special meeting will be held at the Wells Junior High School gymnasium at 1470 Post Road during the traditional polling hours of 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

If approved at the polls, the moratorium would be effective retroactively from April 16 to Oct. 15, for 180 days, according to Town Planner and Engineer Mike Livingston.

If, however, the Select Board deems it necessary, the moratorium could be extended for another six months.

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The town would use the period to draft ordinances that would address land uses pertaining to multifamily developments, open space, lot sizes, cluster density bonuses, wetlands, setbacks, and traffic impacts, Livingston said in a recent newsletter.

If approved, the moratorium would apply to the construction of large-scale developments, the acceptance and processing of related applications, and the issuance of any related permits or any other form of regulatory approval.

On April 16, the Select Board agreed a proposed moratorium and a special Town Meeting were necessary after listening to concerns from the public during a packed hearing in the York County Community College auditorium that lasted more than two hours.

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Most speakers that evening favored a moratorium, citing concerns about the effects of large-scale developments on the community’s environment, infrastructure, services, quality of life, health, and traffic, particularly along Route 1.

One resident who spoke, however, felt the idea of a moratorium targeted him and his hopes of selling property he owns on Route 1 for development.

Richard Jorgensen hopes to sell his land at 502 Post Road to a Massachusetts developer who wants to build 165 single-family townhouses on more than 120 acres. The proposal, currently making its way through the town’s planning process, has been the topic of much discussion in the community and on social media this year.

At the April meeting, Jorgensen told the Select Board the property sale is key to his retirement. He referred to the press coverage and social media discussions and took issue with the way the town’s proposed ordinance for the moratorium was worded.

“This whole thing is aimed right straight at me because there’s no other large piece of developable land on Route 1,” Jorgensen said.

Some who spoke during the hearing empathized with Jorgensen, even as they voiced support for the moratorium. During the discussion that followed, Select Board member Scott DeFelice said he felt for the Jorgensens and their desire to retire.

“I strongly feel for individual rights,” he said. “However, the town also has to make sure that things are being done properly. These issues are real.”

Later in the meeting, then-Select Board member Bob Foley told Jorgensen the proposed halt on large-scale development was not personal. He said the moratorium is intended to give the town time to examine its ordinances to make growth more manageable across the community.

“This isn’t about your project,” Foley told Jorgensen. “This moratorium is not going to make your land unsellable.”

As drafted by Town Attorney Leah Rachin, the proposed ordinance opens with an acknowledgment of the interest in large-scale developments in Wells. The document notes that the town approved 76 residential subdivisions for the community between 2009 and 2023. The average size of subdivisions approved during this period comprised 14 dwelling units, the document added.

Voters can get a copy of the proposed moratorium at the town clerk’s office at the Wells Town Hall on Sanford Road, according to Town Manager Michael Pardue. The proposal, as well as a sample ballot, is also available on the town’s website.