Ogunquit News
Planning Board hears input from voters on failed zoning question
By C. Ayn Douglass
OGUNQUIT - The Planning Board got what it asked for at a forum held Monday night, Dec. 11, at Dunaway Center, prior to its regular meeting.The board scheduled the forum to hear voter input as to why residents defeated, although narrowly, Warrant Article 4 on the November ballot, which would bring into alignment the town's zoning ordinance with the Comprehensive Plan.
Planning Board Chairman Steve Wilkos noted that the 30-or-so attendees represented the largest group to come before the board in the entire year-and-a-half the board had been working on the 14 items to bring zoning into compliance. It is the board's intention, he said, to revise the areas of concern in the warrant article to assure passage at April's town meeting.
The entire package of articles was narrowly defeated in November by a margin of 34 votes. The two issues of concern, according to residents who spoke Monday night, were those regarding hotel/motel expansion.
Mike Horn, who worked for more than two years on the Comprehensive Plan update, said second to traffic, hotel and motel expansion was the people's chief priority, as evidenced by surveys taken by the committee. It was clear from the results of those surveys that residents wanted no further expansion of hotels or motels on Shore Road, the Limited Business District and to specifically not allow any expansion of habitable space in that district.
Hotel/motel expansion could be allowed in the commercial area of Route 1 in the vehicular traffic area north of Hoyt's Lane to the Wells line and south of Admiral's Inn.
Horn recommended that the articles relating to hotel/motel growth be submitted as stand-alone questions on the April warrant as they were probably the reason the entire package failed to pass. He recommended that non-conforming hotels and motels should be allowed to expand as to accessory uses only, allowing swimming pools or storage areas, but not additional habitable space. He further recommended re-inserting frontage and setback requirements and minimum lot coverage for motels and hotels.
Hotel owner Phil Cavaretta agreed with Horn, but said he believed that if the voters are presented with any zoning changes to allow more hotels or motels they will vote it down - whether it's a separate item or part of the entire ordinance.
"I believe voters will vote down expansion of transient housing. They spoke in 2000 and they spoke in 2006 and it was the same answer," he said.
Resident Lou Rioux said he didn't want to see more transient housing in Ogunquit.
"I agree with Phil Cavaretta. (We could see) hotels where there are restaurants now. The more they build, the cheaper they'll get and you won't get quality," he said.
Newell Perkins, a local resident and realtor, said historically that residents have not supported expansion of hotels and motels in opinion polls. Polls in 1975, 1980 and 1992 indicated overwhelmingly that Ogunquit's residents - both year-round and seasonal -want to see a better balance of residential and commercial properties.
"All comprehensive plans are based on what the voters wish. Residents have substantial investments here whether they're seasonal or year-round. The quality of answers (on surveys) is dependent on the quality of questions. Historically, these questionnaires reflect what the people wanted," he said.
Isabel Lewando, long-time resident of Ogunquit and this year's Citizen of the Year, made a plea to the board to "retain what's left of the character of Ogunquit. People who were born here - when they get out of the nest - have to get out of town. We're losing out young people."
The Planning Board has scheduled another workshop on Monday, Jan. 8, at 7 p.m. to discuss direction for revisions and whether they will be to the ordinances or to the Comprehensive Plan.
Time, according to J.T. Lockman, Ogunquit's contracted town planner, is of the essence as all changes must be made 45 days prior to the April vote.
