The Greater Portland Council of Governments (GPCOG) has been awarded a Housing Opportunity Program Service Provider Grant by the Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) to conduct a site analysis for where affordable housing can be developed.
The GPCOG has invited Bridgton to submit potential properties owned by the town that can be analyzed as suitable sites for affordable housing. Residents of nearby Denmark might benefit from such studies.
Robert Peabody, town manager, said the town is looking at several sites for the development of housing. There are 13 acres on Main Street that are being used as a leach field. With the new wastewater system in town that will soon be operational there will soon be no need for this property. There is a wooded site of 16 acres behind the Bridgton Hospital and another 20.4 acres on Wayside Avenue that is also a leach field.
Tori Hill, Community Development Director, said that these large parcels could potentially support affordable housing. Hill added that the GPCOG will determine if these are feasible properties for development.
Selectman Paul Tworog said that the public needs to become aware of such potential developments. Flyer printing could be used to inform the public about such potential developments and to help garner their input about such parcels and their use.
Hill said that the GPCOG has not specified a timeline for issuing its findings.
