Residents of the neighborhood where a Bangor developer plans to build a 30-duplex subdivision continued to protest the project at a second public hearing on Tuesday night after which planning board members said they would tour the property as part of their decision-making process.
Emily Ellis, a real estate broker with Team Properties in Bangor, applied in June to build a subdivision with 30 duplexes on a lot at the corner of Lancaster Avenue and Essex Street near Essex Woods, known as the Maine Woods project.
The proposal is one that would directly add to the housing stock in Bangor as housing costs in the region have risen. So far, the city has considered a number of strategies to indirectly increase its housing supply, like curbing zoning restrictions to allow for more development and allowing boarding homes.
Dozens of residents spoke out against the proposal at a public meeting earlier this month, citing concerns including increased traffic, loss of access to wildlife and outdoor space, and a fear that an influx of new residents would dilute the neighborhood’s water pressure.
Neighborhood residents raised more concerns at a Tuesday night planning board meeting, echoing similar concerns that residents brought up when Bangor first considered a proposal allowing boarding homes that went into effect last month.
One resident who didn’t identify himself said that he was worried that having more cars in the neighborhood would present safety issues for drivers, because there are blind turns due to the curving roads, and pedestrians, because there are no sidewalks on Lancaster Avenue.
Kelley Hashey, a resident who lives on nearby North French Street, said on Wednesday morning that she objected to the project because it would require the developer to drill and blast the property to remove ledge from the site.
“It’s gonna blow up the whole damn neighborhood,” Hashey said as she pointed out homemade signs that she had put up on her front lawn that protested the project.
Members of the planning board tentatively plan to visit the site the afternoon of Sept. 6, before their next meeting that evening, and asked Ellis to stake out where the proposed building corners and roadway access will be, city planner Anne Krieg said.
