Revisions to Boothbay Harbor ordinances met a speedbump Jan. 13 as selectmen agreed more insight was needed around proposed ordinance changes. Selectmen said they anticipated moving drafts forward for legal review but instead decided to forward them to the planning board for input.   

The move was part of an ongoing review of ordinance changes, mostly focused on attempts to invigorate downtown. Members from the two boards have been working for over a year to revise housing ordinances, but many proposals discussed at the meeting have not been reviewed by the planning board.  

The forwarded proposals include allowing residential and lodging in the downtown business zone, revising energy-related building standards, increasing building height restrictions to 35 feet, defining accessory dwelling unit stories and size, and creating a registry program for rental properties.   

The decision to involve the planning board came during a discussion on eliminating lot size dimensional requirements in part of the downtown business zone. Selectman Ken Rayle brought forth the proposal with support from Selectman Mark Osborn. Osborn said the existing rules hinder investment in downtown businesses and encourage short-term rentals and residential units to take over.    

“Is (the change) perfect? No. But what we have now is by no means perfect either,” Rayle said. “It is really hampering people coming into the town and wanting to reinvest and bring new ideas and fresh faces and energy into the town. And just look around. We need to turn that wagon around.”   

However, members of the board and public questioned the unintended consequences, raising doubts about several proposed changes. Chair Michael Tomko asked why the requirements needed to be eliminated rather than minimized, and Code Enforcement Officer Geoff Smith asked what impact expanding the number of businesses would have on the town’s already limited parking and other municipal affairs.   

Planning board chair Tom Minerich suggested his board review proposed changes and provide feedback. Admitting they have limited experience in town planning, the selectmen agreed and said the planning board is more familiar with town ordinances. According to Town Manager Julia Latter, it is still feasible to meet deadlines for May’s town meeting, but the timing will be tight.    

However, a proposal from Osborn to limit cruise ships in Boothbay Harbor was dropped. Osborn said cruise ships can become a problem in coastal towns and proposed bringing a size cap to public vote. The suggestion met with resistance.  

Selectman Alyssa Allen said they are not a problem now, so there is no need for a change. Rayle agreed and said large cruise ships, which have raised concerns in towns like Bar Harbor and Rockland, cannot fit here. He added, most of the ships that come here are around 250 feet long and the largest in 2024 was 450 feet long. Lisa Walby, executive director of the chamber of commerce, added cruises bring significant business downtown.  

Some of the discussed changes were also tabled for the town’s anticipated comprehensive plan rewrite. These included defining commuter parking lots and revising language around lighting.  

In addition, the board unanimously agreed on a proposal from Allen to no longer require the town to take the lowest bid for town projects. Allen and others said the approach can be a disservice and allowing the town to judge bids on more criteria gives them flexibility.    

"Some (bids) don't include services that other ones do, and then we're limited to the price and it's not apples to apples,” Osborn said.    

In related business, Latter said the town received two bids for a consultant to help rewrite the 2015 comprehensive plan after a Request for Proposal (RFP) deadline closed Jan. 3. Latter said the town sent the RFP out to nine firms and advertised it online. She said North Star Planning sent an estimate around $129,000 and VHB sent another around $114,000.