Auburn's planning board and city council will meet Tuesday to discuss controversial zoning changes that could pave the way for more development.
It's another prong in Mayor Jason Levesque's push to increase housing. He wants to build over 2,000 new housing units. But strong opposition could stand in the way.
The proposal would strip income requirements from agricultural zones. Those require that at least a third of a resident's income be derived from farming in order to build on a parcel of land. Housing is also allowed there for those making 30% of the city's median income. Removing the income requirements could open up thousands of acres of land for housing development.
Income requirements were the subject of a 1985 court ruling that kept them in place. That case was brought by a group of residents who rallied together and challenged the proposal because it was not in line with the city's comprehensive plan.
Many residents still don't want to see them go away.
"The underdeveloped land in AGRP [Agriculture and Resource Protection Zone] represents in large part the future of this urban areas ability to produce food as local as possible, which is key to local economic resiliency," said Blaine Flanders, a member of the Good Food Council of Lewiston-Auburn and one of dozens of residents who spoke against a zoning change during a March planning board meeting.
City staff are proposing that Auburn remove some income limits in part of the agricultural region outside of the Lake Auburn watershed by changing it to residential. That would also require a change in the city's comprehensive plan but leave some agricultural zoning intact. The area surrounding the lake is also being considered for development.
The planning board voted not to recommend zoning changes until a balance could be reached that would preserve the area's agricultural character. Most residents at the meeting did not want to see any changes at all, but there were a few voices in favor.
"I find the rule very repressive and downright racist, bigoted, discriminatory against people who would want to own a home in a particular zone," said Scott Barry, who said he sells real estate. He argued those interested in preserving land should approach owners to put it into a trust, and that solar arrays are the bigger threat to farmland.
