Affordable housing for seniors on the March 5 ballot in Kennebunk

KENNEBUNK, Maine — While most neighboring communities will just weigh in on their presidential preferences during the state primary on Tuesday, March 5, Kennebunk voters also will have two local matters to decide.

On their municipal ballots, voters will be asked to approve a proposed contract zone to make way for new affordable housing units for seniors and to approve amendments to the town’s ordinance for street design and construction standards.

Kennebunk Savings is seeking the contract zone so that it can subdivide its property at 7 Alewive Road into three separate lots: one on which its headquarters would remain; another for the construction of two affordable housing buildings that each offer 35 units for seniors; and a third for open space.

Maureen Flaherty, the bank’s chief marketing and customer experience officer, said it is important for communities to have a good mix of housing options.

“We know affordable housing is greatly needed for older adults,” Flaherty said. “This project is a step in the right direction.”

More development: New duplexes proposed for farmland off Thompson Road in Kennebunk

The bank’s headquarters is not included as part of the contract zone and would remain in the town’s Industrial Zoning District, according to town documents.

Avesta, an affordable housing developer based in Portland, would operate the units. As part of the project, Kennebunk Savings is donating the 12 acres for housing and the 12 acres of green space to be preserved in perpetuity. The bank also is donating $550,000 towards the construction of the two buildings.

If voters approve the contract zone on March 5, Kennebunk Savings would then take its housing proposal through the town’s site plan review process.

“We hope Kennebunk residents will show up for their neighbors on March 5 to vote yes on Question A to approve a contract zone which will allow this project to move forward,” Flaherty said.

We just want peace and quiet: Neighbors bark back at noisy kennel in Kennebunk

Members of the Kennebunk Planning Board first received the application for the contract zone in early 2023 and spent much of the year discussing the proposal and holding public hearings. In November, they advanced the application to the town’s Select Board, which discussed the proposal, held a public hearing, and unanimously agreed in January to put it in voters’ hands.

If the contract zone is approved and the project gains approval in the town’s planning process, Avesta could break ground in the fall of 2025. Ron Harmon, the communications manager for Avesta, said the goal is to complete the project by the winter of 2026.

While the calculus could become subject to change between now and when units are finished and available, Harmon did provide a look at what rentals would cost. He said a single person with an annual income of up to $40,560 or a couple with a combined income of no more than $46,320 could apply to rent a unit.

Also on the local ballot on March 5, voters will be asked to enact an amendment to Section 8 of the town’s ordinance to address local standards for street design and construction. The amendments, outlined in the community’s online voting guide, largely pertain to the acceptance of town ways.

If voters approve the amendment, it will replace the current ordinance and go into effect immediately.

The polls will be open on March 5 in the Kennebunk Town Hall Auditorium at 1 Summer Street from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

More: Moody Beach owners win court case, but advocates for public access vow to fight on

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Affordable housing for seniors on the March 5 ballot in Kennebunk