York Town News
York selectmen tackle parking, paintball and property values
By Jennifer L. Saunders
YORK - The Board of Selectmen tackled a full agenda at its meeting Monday night, ranging from parking concerns in York Beach to the increasing value of property across the town.Shortly after the meeting began, Assessor Rick Mace updated the board on the price of property in York, as the tax bills are ready to be sent.
"We're getting ready to commit the assessments for the 2006 tax billing cycle," Mace said, identifying some statistics regarding property sales in York
Sales are down 10 percent this year, he said, but the prices are not coming down to match that drop.
"I believe if you talk to real estate agents, the number of listings have gone up," he said. "… Because of what's going on in the market, I'm being a little more conservative and coming in at 93 percent ratio."
That ratio relates the assessed value of all property in York to the state's numbers, which are based on sales from the previous year.
York's current valuation, according to the state, is $3.7 billion based on the 2005 sales. For that year, Mace had listed the town's value at $3.44 billion, in keeping with the target of 90 percent or more of state value.
This year, York's municipal valuation is $3.8 billion, up about 9 percent. Of that approximately $400 million addition, Mace said about $125 million is in new construction. Of York's approximately 10,550 properties, some 8,513 had an increase in value.
As of Monday, Mace said $438,000 is the average selling price of houses in York, with the average selling price of house lot at over $200,000.
Selectmen hold off on Beach Parking enforcement
The next major item to come up during the meeting was brought up when the board met back on June 12: changes to the Ellis Park parking rules in York Beach.Local resident and Inn on the Blues owner Joe Lipton pointed out that, with the big Fourth of July weekend just days away, increased paid parking hours in the lot are a problem for local businesses. He also expressed his disappointment in the Ellis Park trustees for not being able to attend the board's meeting to address the issue, noting the issue is time-sensitive.
"This is when everyone who comes to York is going to get their taste of York," Lipton said, saying the metered parking from 9 a.m. until midnight is disheartening for businesses, residents and visitors alike. "I'm hearing a lot of flack about that. … I'm a little frustrated because I feel that there's a huge injustice being done."
Lipton asked the board to direct the Police Department not to enforce the additional hours until a meeting can be held with the Ellis Park trustees to address the situation.
"I'm asking for you to look into it, because I think it would be beneficial to the town," he said.
Lipton added he has spoken with fellow business owners in the beach who are willing to go and feed the meters themselves during those added hours to make the beach more friendly to those who travel there.
"York Beach businesses appreciate our tourists and our residents," he said, adding, "I can't stress to you how important this is and how deep-rooted it is."
Ultimately, the Board of Selectmen agreed.
Selectmen Torbert Macdonald Jr. and Mike Estes both reviewed the documentation from the incorporation of the beach and village back in 1977 that listed metered parking hours there from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. only.
"The biggest holiday of the year is next weekend, and we weren't able to get together," Chairman David Marshall said of the attempt to meet with the trustees. "… How unreasonable is it, if the town decided not to enforce … until there's some kind of resolution made?"
Town Manager Rob Yandow told the board he understands their consensus on the issue and would explore the legality, and Chief Doug Bracy said that he reports to the town manager, and will act accordingly.
Vice Chairman Dwight Bardwell acknowledged the benefits the Ellis Park trustees bring to town in terms of management of the park, but said the parking issue needs a public process to be addressed.
"I think the businesses this spring and early summer have taken a tremendous hit down at Short Sands … and this one is just below the belt," he said.
Selectman Len Dorrian urged the board to take definitive action, but as there was no specific agenda item scheduled, the board could only give its consensus to Yandow on how to proceed.
Yandow said he would seek the advice of the town's legal counsel.
"I will take the appropriate measures consistent with the board's consensus," he said.
In the future, the board plans to meet with the Ellis Park trustees to take a closer look at the issues.
In other business, the board also rescinded a license for an ice cream truck, based on an ordinance in place prohibiting mobile food vehicles in town, and granted a victualer's license renewal to Birch Hill Paintball after weighing abutter concerns and hearing from police and owner John Lydston, who has discontinued any large-scale events on the property. For more on these and other upcoming issues reviewed by the board, see next week's edition of The Independent.
Contact Associate Editor Jennifer L. Saunders at jsaunders@yorkindependent.net.
