Bangor Livable Communities Committee reviews housing updates and plans community outreach

The Bangor Livable Communities Committee met to discuss recent housing developments, including a new 70-unit project on Grand View Avenue and the status of pre-approved building plans. Staff also proposed a community engagement event for Community Development Week involving the distribution of positive messages to residents.

Key points

• Staff reported that a 13-acre development on Grand View Avenue is moving forward with a plan for approximately 70 mixed-income housing units, including single-family homes and apartments.
• The committee discussed the lack of usage for the city's pre-approved building plans, noting that recent code changes required updates and that a marketing campaign is needed to inform residents.
• A representative from the nonprofit A4TD presented the Senior Community Service Employment program, which provides transitional job training for adults over 55, and discussed potential partnerships for staffing the visitor center.
• Betsy Lundy from Downtown Bangor provided updates on spring events, including the Adopt a Garden program, new Glow Up Grants for storefront improvements, and the Sidewalk Art Festival scheduled for the second Saturday in July.
• Committee members brainstormed ideas for Community Development Week, such as distributing "you are a good person" cards or name stickers to foster community connection and reduce social isolation.

Next steps

• Staff will finalize the plan for the Community Development Week outreach event and send an email to the committee group to coordinate logistics.
• The city will continue to review the development plan for the Grand View Avenue housing project before presenting it to the City Council.

Read the full transcript