South Portland Planning Board backs Landry Heights reapproval and zoning changes

The South Portland Planning Board on October 14, 2026 voted 5-1 to reapprove lapsed subdivision and site plan approvals for the Landry Heights affordable housing project at 18 Daniel P. Toole Street and 51 Landry Circle, with one member opposed. The board also unanimously recommended two zoning amendments to the City Council: revised A and G district setbacks with miscellaneous housing ordinance cleanups, and an extension of the LB zone along Cottage Road. A Cottage Road property owner objected to the map change, saying he was not notified and feared the neighborhood would become a strip mall.

Key points

• The board voted 5-1 to approve the Landry Heights site plan and subdivision amendments, with Mr. McDonald opposed; the findings passed 6-0.
• Staff said the project's subdivision approval lapsed in May 2025 and its site plan approval expired in August 2026, and a new four-year expiration for affordable housing projects now applies.
• The approval removes a condition tied to a pre-existing easement that crosses a parking area; staff said the project meets standards even if the easement remains.
• The board voted 6-0 to recommend the A and G district setback amendments (10 feet in A, 5 feet in G) plus miscellaneous text cleanups to the City Council.
• The board voted 5-1 to recommend extending the LB zone along Cottage Road, with Mr. McDonald opposed; he said he wanted to keep the area's single-family and two-family homes as they are.
• Alan Keefe, who owns property at 529 Cottage Road, said he learned of the map change from the newspaper and objected to rezoning a whole stretch for one business's request.

Next steps

• The zoning recommendations go to the City Council, which will hold its own hearings and make the final decisions.
• The Landry Heights applicant must record the subdivision approval within 270 days and submit parcel boundary data for the Assessor's database.
• The board will take up a reappointment for the affordable housing committee assignment at a future meeting.
• The board's next meeting is November 18; the October 28 meeting was canceled.

Read the full transcript The agenda