Mainspring social services hub, Fair Tide affordable housing plan praised in Kittery
KITTERY, Maine — Mainspring, the social services hub slated to open on Shapleigh Road in the summer of 2024, received rave reviews in its opening appearance before the town Planning Board.
The leaders of Fair Tide and Footprints Food Pantry, the two in-town nonprofits that partnered to purchase the former Kittery Family Practice building on 22 Shapleigh Road, spoke about the one-stop social services site proposal at last week’s board meeting.
Both Fair Tide and Footprints, in addition to the outreach and Women, Infants and Children programs at York County Community Action and municipal general assistance, will move and be located together in the Mainspring building. The proposal for the property also includes plans for a new six-unit affordable housing development on-site that would be owned by Fair Tide, an endeavor funded by MaineHousing using money from the American Rescue Plan Act.
“This development turns an underutilized and fairly unattractive property into a development that’s going to benefit our community for many years to come,” said Emily Flinkstrom, the executive director of Fair Tide.
More:Fair Tide, Footprints Food Pantry to open Mainspring, a Kittery social services hub
Project records detail the request to redevelop the existing commercial building, with proposed additions bringing it to a total footprint of 5,669 square feet. The building is allowed to house retail sales, a neighborhood grocery store and business and professional offices.
Footprints Food Pantry executive director Megan Shapiro-Ross stated that a goal of the Mainspring project is to have people face less of a “scavenger hunt” when they search for social services.
In Mainspring, the food pantry will expand its grocery store model and will add a commissary kitchen focusing on senior meals, per Shapiro-Ross. The food pantry’s commissary kitchen will offer nutrition and cooking classes.
“The growing need for services in Kittery right now is alarming,” she said. “People are struggling to meet their basic needs. People that have never struggled to meet their basic needs in the past are struggling. We’re seeing individuals who are in much higher socioeconomic income levels come into the food pantry, seeking out housing support, seeking fuel support.”
In his last meeting as a member of the Kittery Planning Board, John Perry commended Mainspring and its leaders.
“I must say that I think this is an outstanding project that is coming to Kittery, and I urge my fellow board members to do everything we can to bring this to fruition,” he said. “It’s a great project and Kittery is going to be better off for it.”
The project architect for the redevelopment of the former family practice building is Kittery’s own ARQ Architects. The building was built in the 1980s and was most recently used as office and storage space for the Old York Historical Society.
The six-unit, 2,058-square-foot residential building will have five one-bedroom units and one studio unit. Portland architectural firm Ryan Senatore Architecture is overseeing the development of the apartment building.
“I think it’s going to be a terrific add,” Planning Board vice chairperson Karen Kalmar said of the project.
Planning Board members unanimously accepted the site sketch plan application.
Fair Tide and Footprints now co-own the Shapleigh Road building after jointly purchasing the former family practice in late April. The organizations, which are not merging, used a $750,000 federal grant via York County’s designated American Rescue Plan Act funding to buy the property.
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Mainspring social services hub lauded by Kittery ME Planning Board
