The city and the developer proposing a housing project on a series of paper streets have agreed to an arrangement that will bring a peaceful end to the debate that has gone on for almost a year.
On Monday, the Westbrook City Council voted 6 to 0 in favor of a plan that allows the development of new homes on small lots while at the same time, creating open space. The council must hold a second vote on the agreement before the agreement becomes official.
The compromise even won over neighbors who were initially against allowing the development on the so-called paper streets.
“This is a great project. I’m proud of this project,” said Mitchell Street homeowner Robert Foley, who praised developer Andre Bellucci for his efforts to provide the city with green space. “Green. I’m happy. I’m pleased.”
The Mitchell Farm development, which is on a site between Pierce and Lincoln streets, was the catalyst that started discussions about a year ago over whether developers should be allowed to build on paper streets, according to City Administrator Jerre Bryant.
Paper streets are streets that were laid out on paper but never developed. In some cases, these paper streets can be undeveloped for hundreds of years. In the case of the Mitchell Farm development, the streets were laid out in 1807. The controversy centered on whether these open spaces that have been there so long should be developed.
The Mitchell Farm division was unique in that Bellucci owned the majority of the lots and the city owned the remainder. The plan outlined by the city and Bellucci proposes land swaps between the two so Bellucci can develop homes in certain areas with the city getting about eight acres of land to be preserved as undeveloped land.
Bellucci has also agreed to build about 60 homes, about 30 fewer than he’s legally entitled to. He has agreed to give the city 14 of the 50- by 100-foot lots he owns and receive 18 lots from the city in exchange. Bellucci has also promised not to develop on another 25 lots that he is legally entitled to build on.
The goal of the plan is to develop the space for housing in a manner that minimizes the effect on surrounding neighborhoods while at the same time creating more green space for residents. The city will have two areas of open space, both about four acres of wooded and undeveloped land. The city will not alter the land at all except perhaps to add walking trails.
One of the plots will be open to the public and the other will be open to the owners of the new homes and the owners of the older homes abutting the new development.
Councilor Drew Gattine praised the agreement. “The idea of having a type of open space like that that is potentially to be developed for things like walking trails and picnicking and cross-country skiing or snowshoeing in the winter would be a great asset to the entire city,” said Gattine.
Additionally, Bellucci will be donating three lots to the city. The city plans to sell one of the lots and give the other two to Habitat for Humanity to build homes on. The price of the single lot sale will pay for the cost of building a road to service the three homes.
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