City Hall·Portland Land Bank Commission
Land Bank Commission approves play space concept, bridge surveys, and budget increase
The Portland Land Bank Commission voted unanimously to support a natural play space at University Park and to allow Maine Turnpike Authority to conduct archaeological and geotechnical surveys for a bridge replacement project. The commission also approved a budget increase for a boat launch project and discussed potential acquisitions for the Portland House parcel and a property near Riverside Golf Course.
Key points
- Commissioners unanimously approved a motion to conceptually support the design of a natural play space at University Park, pending review by city counsel and a final design plan.
- The commission approved a request from the Maine Turnpike Authority to perform hand-dug archaeological testing and geotechnical borings on land bank property to facilitate a safer off-alignment replacement of the Falmouth Spur overpass.
- Commissioners voted to increase the allocated funds for the Strutter on boat launch project from $30,000 to approximately $51,738 to account for inflation and updated cost estimates.
- The commission discussed a potential acquisition of an undeveloped parcel adjacent to the Portland House on the Eastern Prom, noting that a scorecard assessment would be needed to determine its ranking.
- Staff reported that negotiations for the Davis property acquisition are ongoing, with the new owner requesting $1 million compared to an appraisal of $230,000.
Next steps
- Staff will seek clarification from city counsel on whether a City Council vote is required for the University Park play space and the Falmouth Spur land swap.
- The Maine Turnpike Authority will proceed with archaeological and geotechnical surveys on the designated land bank property.
- A commissioner will prepare a scorecard assessment for the Portland House parcel to evaluate its acquisition priority.
- Staff will continue negotiations with the new owner of the Davis property regarding the purchase price.
- The commission will review the 2027 Capital Improvement Plan and select recommended projects for funding.
Where this came from
City of Portland, ME Meetings Portal
The summary and transcript were made by software from the public meeting video, with names checked against the official roster, then reviewed before publishing.
Watch the meeting ↗The summary and transcript were made by software from the public meeting video, with names checked against the official roster, then reviewed before publishing.