Bangor committee approves historic park designations, food sales code changes

The Business & Economic Development Committee voted to advance code amendments for local historic designation of three city parks and to expand temporary food sales ordinances. The committee also reviewed a feasibility report for the Bangor Central Kitchen project, with staff recommending a nonprofit operator model, and discussed the future of the Ban Air nonprofit entity.

Key points

• Committee voted unanimously to move forward with local historic designation for Broadway Park, Chapin Park, and Davenport Park.
• Councilors approved a code amendment to allow seasonal food and merchandise sales in more city zones, including neighborhood service districts, while prohibiting drive-through service.
• Staff presented a feasibility study for the Bangor Central Kitchen, a 9,000-square-foot food incubator at 50 Cleveland Street, with a construction budget of $5.5 million.
• Joshua Gunn, the operations and financial consultant, recommended a municipality-plus-nonprofit operator model to manage the kitchen and access additional grants.
• Councilor Carolyn Fish expressed concern about the project's financial return, noting a projected net cash flow of $244,000 by year five against a $5 million investment.
• Councilor Wayne Mallar questioned how Ban Air expenditures are authorized without a functioning board of directors, noting the entity has not met in quorum for two years.

Next steps

• Schedule a public hearing for the historic park designations at the June Historic Building Commission meeting.
• Release an operator RFP for the Bangor Central Kitchen project.
• Convene a Ban Air board meeting after the budget season to discuss the entity's future and governance.
• Provide Councilor Daniel Carson with the formula used to calculate the projected $13 million annual regional economic activity.

Read the full transcript