Recognizing and answering the challenge of Lincoln County’s housing needs was the subject of the annual meeting of the Lincoln County Regional Planning Commission (LCRPC). The Tuesday night, April 18 meeting was hosted by Montsweag Restaurant, Route 1, Woolwich.

Dr. Deborah Bronk, president and chief executive officer of Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, said finding affordable housing for its staff is a huge problem. She told the audience Bigelow has no trouble attracting workers. “Our problem is we can’t find places for them to live.” Bronk said the campus in East Boothbay has 110 year-round full-time employees although the workforce increases to 160 in the summer. “We could hire more people if we could find places for them nearby to live.”

As a means of addressing the problem, Bronk continued, Bigelow added its own campus housing in 2017, Graham Shimmield Residence Hall. But space there is limited, providing 32 dorm rooms, a two-bedroom apartment and three studio apartments.

Karen-Ann Hagar-Smith, director of outreach and community navigation at Central Lincoln County YMCA in Damariscotta, said the housing shortage was very real and had grown more acute. Hager-Smith said the COVID-19 pandemic was partly to blame for the escalation in real estate prices including rental properties. Addressing homelessness, like food insecurity or income inequity, will take collaboration from town officials, social organizations, community groups and businesses, she said. “It takes all of us. We get further and have a broader impact when we all work together.”

Lincoln County Planner Emily Rabbe summarized key points of a newly completed “Housing Needs Assessment” by Camoin Associates of Saratoga Springs, New York. Camoin was hired to provide a comprehensive assessment of Lincoln County’s available housing, examine real estate market trends and offer recommendations and strategies for addressing future housing needs including affordable housing.

Among the key points Rabbe shared was that Lincoln County’s year-round population growth has remained steady the last 20 years at 2.3% but that the population was getting older. The average age of residents in 2020 was a little over 51, about six years older than the state average.

The study found the rate of new home construction here slowed in the 2000s, pretty much following a national trend. “Seasonal units comprise three out of every 10 housing units in Lincoln County,” it stated.

Rabbe said the study stated something many residents already knew: Home prices have risen dramatically. The report found in the last five years Lincoln County home prices “have more than doubled increasing from $189K in October of 2017 to $399K in October 2022 for an annual growth rate of 16%. Meanwhile, income growth county-wide increased at an annual rate of 2.5% between 2017 and 2020,” the most recent year for which data is available.

“Solving our future housing needs will take time,” cautioned Rabbe. “This isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon.”

Michael Tomko of Boothbay, LCRPC board chairman, opened the meeting with a brief welcoming address. He noted every community in Lincoln County was represented by at least one person.

LCRPC annually recognizes community leaders; this year’s recipients were Chester Rice of South Bristol and Barry Hawthorne of Edgecomb. Rice has served 26 years on the South Bristol select board and nine years as a Damariscotta selectman. He has served a term in the state legislature and has been involved in many community organizations. Hawthorne served on Edgecomb’s planning board and ordinance review committee. He also played an active role in the town’s broadband committee.

A “Special Thanks” was extended to Gordon Davis, a longtime LCPRC representative from Alna. Davis served on the LCPRC board 20 years. In the mid-1990s, he was active in Maine Department of Economic and Community Development’s assisting of small business owners. Davis is also a past Alna selectman.

Mary Ellen Barnes, LCRPC executive director, oversaw the election of officers for the coming year. The membership re-elected its current slate of officers returning Tomko as its chairman; Marianne Pinkham, Nobleboro, vice chair; George Parker, Newcastle, treasurer; and Walter Voskian, Bremen, secretary.

Max Johnstone was elected District Two representative, for Bremen, Bristol, South Bristol, Monhegan, Nobleboro and Waldoboro, and Mal Carey as District Three’s, for Alna, Damariscotta, Dresden, Jefferson, Newcastle, Somerville, Whitefield and Hibberts Gore.

Voting for District 1 representative, Dennis Simmons, town manager of Wiscasset, was postponed. Simmons was at a select board meeting and not able to attend. District 1 is made up of Wiscasset, Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor, Edgecomb, Southport and Westport Island.

The 2023 ASK Grants, all of which were $2,500. were awarded to Damariscotta, Boothbay Harbor, Nobleboro and Waldoboro to fund project feasibility studies. Boothbay Harbor wants to explore placing solar panels on its town office and public works buildings. Damariscotta wants to explore installing an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessible dock, including ramp and float. Nobleboro will use the grant to help fund a traffic and parking study at the town’s elementary school and Waldoboro will use part of the grant to study asbestos abatement at the former Hoffses House and remaining funds on an engineering study at the former Sylvania property to cap the parking area and former business location. 

LCRPC is based at 297 Bath Road, Wiscasset; call (207) 882-4271, or email info@lcrpc.org