A proposed development of apartments and town houses in Belfast would be one of the largest new housing projects in the region. It would bring 200 units in duplex and quadplex buildings, according to information presented to the Planning Board on Wednesday.
The developer, Benjamin Hooper, aims to build on 35 acres off Priscilla Lane, with additional access from Elementary Avenue. The site is located at the end of the lane and borders the Route 1 bypass, about a mile south of downtown.
It joins several new housing projects that have been completed or proposed in Belfast in recent years, helping to address an ongoing shortage that has driven up the cost of living in the midcoast. This project would be among the biggest in the region in recent years.
One new development recently brought 48 units of affordable housing, and another in the works along Route 3 would bring 60 more. A 24-unit affordable senior housing complex is also moving ahead on School Street.
The development plan for the new Priscilla Lane proposal is projected to take multiple years, concluding sometime around 2031, Hooper told the Planning Board. He’s targeting buyers who come from “missing middle,” or working individuals, families, and retirees who make too much money to qualify for subsidized housing but not enough to easily buy homes at market rates.
The units would average 2.5 bedrooms per unit, with one-, two-, and three-bedroom offerings. The structures would include townhouses, multi-unit apartments and single-story housing.
“There is no subsidy here; it’s a hundred percent funded by me, so I have to follow the housing market,” Hooper said. “Right now, I can’t nail down a set-in-stone sketch plan.”
The Planning Board listened to preliminary plans for the project on Wednesday, raised some questions and offered encouragement to Hooper to continue developing the plan. The panel did not cast any votes on the proposal and is expected to hold more hearings on it in the future.
About seven area residents spoke during a public comment period, including four who raised concerns about how it could affect the surrounding area, and two who expressed support for the project.
“I think that the public hearing brought up a lot of really salient issues connected to this project,” said Planning Board member Gianne Conard. “I like that it ended on a positive note, but I do think there were a lot of questions that were raised by the public that it would behoove you, Mr. Hooper, to listen to this Planning Board meeting, time and again, as you are moving through your next set of plans because I think there were a lot of important issues that were raised that will have to be addressed.”
Correction: A previous version of this story misstated the type of housing the development would include.