On Tuesday, May 8th at 7:00 PM in City Council Chambers, the Portland Planning Board will hold a public hearing to consider a zoning map amendment and text amendments to the R-6 zone on Munjoy Hill. The purpose of the map and text amendments are to create an overlay district, the Munjoy Hill Neighborhood Conservation Overlay District, to implement new dimensional, design, and performance standards related to new construction and demolitions in the R-6 zone on Munjoy Hill. Included in the public hearing are text amendments, applicable city-wide, to divisions of the Zoning Ordinance relating to extensions of non-conforming buildings in Division 23 & Division 25.
The full text of the proposed changes is available on the city website.
We encourage you attend Tuesday night and speak out in favor of protecting the Hill's historic resources or to email the planning board at planningboard@portlandmaine.gov with supportive comments urging the planning board to:
- recommend that the Planning Department begin the historic designation process
- discourage demolitions by amending the dimensional standards so that the scale and mass of a project’s context is taken into account when determining the maximum dimensions allowed
- support the alternative design review option with reviews conducted by the Historic Preservation Board
- support an 18 month demolition delay that includes public notice and comment
- remove language on non-conforming building extensions that would apply city-wide from the discussion of R-6 zoning on Munjoy Hill to allow time for substantive review and comment by the public in other areas of the city.
Read more about Landmarks comments on the proposed changes.
Also...
The Historic Preservation Office will be offering an informational session on Monday, May 7th at 6:30 PM in the Merrill Rehearsal Hall at 20 Myrtle Street. The meeting is intended for owners of property in Portland’s historic districts as well as anyone interested in learning more about the City’s historic preservation program. Whether you’ve recently purchased a property in a historic district, are thinking about undertaking a project, or are simply curious about the potential effect of designation on your neighborhood, this is your chance to learn more. City staff and members of the Historic Preservation Board will describe Portland’s historic preservation program, provide examples of typical reviews and answer your questions.