MDI Housing Group
Meeting
Planning session for the September 30 MDI Housing Summit
Notes from July 28, 2003
Next meeting is September 10, 8-9:30 am, MDI Housing Authority, 80 Mt Desert Street, Bar Harbor.
Present: Keating Pepper, Lee Worcester, Bill Cohen, Marla Major, Jill Goldthwait, Stan MacDonald, Mike Siklosi, Terry Kelley, Ron Beard, Earl Brechlin (Mt Desert Islander)
Check in statements noted additional info from Martha’s Vineyard, and so called "youth lots" available to local young people who had grown up locally… these lots are allowed by zoning in each of the several island towns, allowing a land owner or developer to create a lot smaller than usual for this purpose… it provides an incentive for the developer and serves an identified public need.
There was a query about the market and zoning for apartment buildings, which would meet some of the demand for year-round rental units; generally publicly supported housing (MDI Housing Authority and Farmer’s Home type project address this need for families and individuals with limited income, but with the market seems to bring little developer interest in building apartments.
Marla had sent John Ryan a number of materials on housing from MDI Tomorrow, Hancock County Planning Commission, Tom Crikelair, MDI Housing Authority and elsewhere. He has reviewed the material and sent back a proposal to fill in some of the gaps in this information and to further develop the case for public and private action (including data about housing demand) and with local stakeholders, to create an action strategy for meeting the housing need we have identified. He proposes to kick off the study by making a presentation at the September 30 housing summit. The proposal indicates the scope of the work, three linked sessions to create a local MDI Housing Action plan over a 120 days period, at a cost of $15,000 plus expenses.
She also relayed information from John Abrams, of South Mountain Builders of Martha’ Vineyard who cited the high value of a similar study by Ryan in galvanizing local action there. Following discussion, those present indicated support for moving ahead with Mr. Ryan’s proposal, and Marla and Stan (representing Mount Desert Community Trust) will talk with other board members about finding financial support.
Ron added that the study and action plan needs to championed by the two organizations which have housing issues most clearly in their mission statements: MDI Housing Authorities and Mount Desert Community Trust. If these groups constitute the core leadership, the action planning, as facilitated by Mr. Ryan, would bring others into the process to help carry out the plan, which will likely include a variety of steps, including making the case for some zoning changes, public investment in land and housing projects and incentives that bring lenders, developers and landowners into alignment to create more community housing. Terry and Stan acknowledged this as a basis for moving forward.
Marla also reported that John Abrams of South Mountain Company, of Martha’s Vineyard, has agreed to be the dinner speaker at the Housing Summit.
Terry, Keating and Marla shared their progress on an invitation list, which will likely be around 200 invitations. Based on that, the group decided to seek a larger venue, that would allow a catered meal and table space for 90-100 participants. Stan MacDonald will check on cost and availability of the Neighborhood House, though we will hold on to the reservation made at the Somesville Fire Station for now. Mike Siklosi volunteered to help with space rental costs.
Hook Wheeler reported that one caterer provided an estimate of $11 per person for a simple soup and sandwich meal.
Based on discussion, the group decided to seek RSVP's from invitees to manage meal expenses and ask for $15 per person to cover meal and material costs.
Ron offered University of Maine Cooperative Extension to send the initial invitation by letter and email in August, while Terry said the Housing Authority would pay for a post card reminder in September.
Marla will work with others on the invitation list and invitation, and then work with Sue Baez on getting the invitation out by mid August.
Materials to be provided to participants will include the MDI Tomorrow State of the Island Report on Housing (by email with a few copies available at the summit), plus any materials developed by John Ryan, a flyer on Mount Desert Community Trust, and the matrix showing how zoning in each community affects housing development costs.
Bill Cohen agreed to stimulate the "matrix committee" which includes himself, Sam Coplan and Jean Marshall. Sam has a summer employee who might provide some assistance, but asked if others could share in the cost. Using the MDI Tomorrow mini-grant process available to projects which emerged from the April 2003 conference, we were confident of at least $250 to aid in that process.
There was important discussion on the design of the summit, leading to some changes noted below:
3:30 Opening session, framing the issue and background, how housing fits into overall MDI Tomorrow goals for vibrant, healthy and year-round communities. Ron Beard, Marla Major (MDI Steering Committee) and brief remarks on the issue by Senator Dennis Damon.
What are the impacts of not acting on the community housing issue?
How does the housing issue tie into the integrity of healthy, year-round communities, which is our overall goal?
Eric Henry, Builder, Community member, Southwest Harbor
Jeanine Ross, Machias Savings Bank, former realtor
Spokesperson, MDI Hospital
Keating Pepper, Realtor
Cliff Vandenbosch, Developer
5 Panel: Public and Private housing resources comment on the issue what they have learned by working on the issue here and elsewhere and what they offer as we move forward or projects they have underway where they need more help with (volunteers, funding, community awareness etc)
MDI Housing Authority
Mount Desert Community Trust
Maine State Housing Authority
Coastal Enterprises, Inc.
5:45 Light Dinner (soup and sandwiches) and when people are settled:
John Abrams gives slide talk using Martha’s Vineyard as case study For a community responding to the housing issue
6:45 Preliminary results of Housing Study and Kick-off for Housing Action Planning ----John Ryan comments on what he has pulled together on MDI Housing situation and frames areas for most fruitful discussion:
7:30 Full group discussion
8:15 Review-what have we learned this evening, what are our next steps?
8:30 Adjourn