Registration Now Open for City’s Co-op Tree Planting Program
PORTLAND, Maine – Portland residents can help cultivate a resilient, equitable urban forest by participating in the City’s Co-op Tree Planting Program. This collaborative program allows eligible Portland residents to purchase a tree and the City Forestry team will handle the pick-up and planting process. Co-op trees can be planted in esplanades, tree wells, or lawns that meet the requirements. Participants from the previous two years are not eligible for co-op planting.
Interested residents can carefully review the Co-op planting process, requirements, and registration form on the City website; program requirements have changed in recent seasons. New this year: Participants do not need to purchase a tree before registering. City staff will review selected planting sites and intended tree species first before giving the go-ahead to make the purchase.
Space is limited, so residents are encouraged to register as soon as possible. Depending on demand, registration may close in advance of the April 30 deadline. Questions can be directed to trees@portlandmaine.gov.
a lone oak in the heart of Bayside. This heritage tree is slated for removal to make way for a new housing development. photo by Avery Kamilla
The Bayside Neighborhood Association Trees & Greens Team is working with city officials and other non-profits to improve Bayside’s tree equity score, which currently is 59th out of 59 block groups according to American Forests’ Tree Equity Map Reach out to greenteam@baysideportland.org for more information.
There was standing room only on January 27th at the Press Hotel where developers explained plans for a 3,300 seat Live-Nation music and entertainment venue. The new construction project proposed for the corner of Cumberland Avenue and Myrtle Street is in the planning board workshop phase, seeking board approval. Several folks in the arts and entertainment industry spoke in opposition to this venue for reasons including its size (trumping many smaller venues), the owner’s alleged history of monopolization tactics, and lack of a current market large enough to support an additional venue of this size. Some residents in Bayside are in favor of the concept and proposed execution of the project with regard to impact on the neighborhood. Others in Bayside expressed concerns over traffic congestion and the lack of adequate parking for residents here that is already a serious issue. Portland’s latest recode deems this project exempt from providing parking on site.
The BNA is committed to being a public clearinghouse of information about developments that affect our neighborhood, amplifying the voices of our neighbors, and facilitating a constructive dialogue to serve the greater good. To that end we’ll be following news and posting updates as this proposal goes through its paces with the planning board. Tell us what you think.
Dozens of Bayside neighbors, friends and interested parties gathered at Two Fat Cats Bakery on Lancaster Street on Tuesday to brainstorm ideas and discuss next steps for the community design project for Justin Alfond’s property at 72 Parris Street, the former location of Fork Food Labs. Community organizer Jonah Fertig-Burd facilitated a workgroup session exploring priorities and possibilities, and introduced a steering committee, including members of the BNA board, to bring the project forward. Stay tuned for more information about this exciting opportunity.
Steering Committee Members:
Alice Kabore, Program Director, Hope Acts
Crystal Cron, Founder, Executive Director, Presente! Maine
Deborah Van Hoewyk, Board Member of Bayside Neighborhood Association
Lydia Muna-Mangan, Bayside Resident
Lauren Lindenbaum, City of Portland Office of Economic Opportunity
Marcia Minter, Co-Founder, Chief Officer of Strategic Growth and Innovation, Indigo Arts Alliance
Marpheen Chann, Founder, Executive Director, Khmer Maine
Mufalo Chitam, Executive Director, Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition
Jim Hall, Treasurer, Bayside Neighborhood Association
Congratulations to the new District One Portland City Councilor, Bayside’s own Sarah Michniewicz, who served as president of the BNA since 2017. Longtime board member and BNA vice-president Robert Sylvain will be stepping in as president pro tempore until elections can be held at the next annual general membership meeting.
Send your comments regarding the development to planningboard@portlandmaine.gov; send questions to zpowell@portlandmaine.gov, and let District 1 Councilor Anna Trevorrow know your thoughts – atrevorrow@portlandmaine.gov Updated plan details may be found here on the City portal.
Fast Facts:
• Implementation is proposed to occur in five phases. See Master Phasing Plan attachment here.
• Area of development: 13 parcels, 7 blocks, 7 new buildings
• New ground floor retail space: 28,500 sf; existing commercial space: 175,000 sf
• Number of units per building: 59 – 201
• Parking space requirements: 39 – 94 per building.
• Number of stories: 5 – 10 (three are 10 stories)
• Heights: 55′ to 105′
• Six of the seven buildings would span the entire length of the block
More Details
• Phase 1A calls for the construction of 201 units of affordable housing (on Elm Street between Oxford and Lancaster). New housing developments must rent 25% of the units as affordable housing. Port Property is proposing to build all 201 affordable units in one large block-long building.
• A woonerf/”linear park” is proposed on a public street (Lancaster Street from Elm to Preble), akin to the area of Lancaster between the restaurants at 82 Hanover Street and Port Property’s new apartment building under construction at 52 Hanover.
• No public green space is proposed beyond a small patch on the woonerf. NOTE: None of the areas marked in green on the map are public green spaces or parks, except for a portion of the Bayside Trail. Much of that area is privately owned and comprised of dirt lots intended to eventually be developed. The area northeast of Chestnut Street is owned by the City and is the likely future site of a parking garage.
*UPDATE 3/6/2023* While there is a requirement for “open space” there’s no stipulation that it be “green.”
*UPDATE 6/6/2023* Open space has been proposed which would include a large grassed oval.
• It’s unclear what would happen to the existing historic structures on lots where buildings are proposed. In the below architectural rendering they do not appear to be integrated into the concept design (the Two Fat Cats building on Lancaster; the north-west side of Oxford Street from Elm to Preble, etc).
*UPDATE 3/6/2023*Subsequent documents confirm that the Two Fat Cats building and all of the buildings on the north side of Oxford from Elm to Preble are slated to be demolished.
• No development is currently proposed in the area zoned R6 (from Chestnut to the midpoint between Cedar and Elm and from Lancaster to Oxford), which includes the Bayside Community Garden (run by the BNA), Oxford Street Shelter building, and eight private single family and multi-unit homes.* However:
– The Oxford Street Shelter building at 203 Oxford Street could potentially be demolished to create a construction staging area. This building dates to 1900 and was originally a two-family home.
– Port Property has said they intend to eventually build where the community garden now sits. Bayside is the only neighborhood without a permanent community garden supported by the City. There is no other open, accessible green space for blocks.
*UPDATE 3/6/2023* Subsequent documents confirm plans to develop parcels through the R6 zone surrounding existing single family and small multi-family homes.
Thank you to everyone who pitched in at the BNA Fall Community Cleanup! We met new neighbors from the Daymark Portland Condos , Jessica James from Longfellow Communications brought her team along, and unhoused neighbors showed up to help brighten up Bayside. Lucky volunteers won gift certificates to Isa, Leavitt & Sons, Portland , Bayside Bowl, Pizzaiolo and Dunkin’. And of course our indomitable Community Policing Coordinator Jen Rogers at Portland Maine Police Department led the way and organized gloves and trash bags. If you missed this one we’ll be doing it again in the spring!
It was great to see so many of you at the BNA Annual meeting and potluck on October 18! We’re grateful to our Bayside neighbors Foundation House for hosting us. Mayoral candidates Councilor Mark Dion, former councilor Justin Costa, & Dylan Pugh, and at-large candidate Bill Linnell, graciously joined us to hear what Baysiders had to say (and brought delicious cookies, mac & cheese and lobster rolls to share!)
This year’s Fall Cleanup and Raffle is on a Friday! Come join the BNA on on Friday, October 20 2023 from 3:30 PM – 5 PM to meet new neighbors and see old friends, have some snacks, and help beautify Bayside. As always, all volunteers will be entered for a chance to win a gift certificate to a great Bayside business! Isa Bistro and Leavitt & Sons Deli are two of our great sponsors.
Last night, June 13, the planning board approved both Port Property’s Bayside Master Development Plan and their proposed major site plan to convert most of 511 Congress Street from office space to housing*. The only conditions on the approval of the Bayside MDP were related to standard department processes such as pre-permit requirements.
The board discussed some of the differences between a master development plan and a site plan, and what can and can’t be changed once a master plan is approved.
It was noted that the footprint and height of the proposed buildings could get smaller but not larger without Port Property seeking a major amendment, and that building designs may change as each phase and sub-phase moves forward.
Other topics:
Affordable housing segregation Community members voiced concerns about the current plan to segregate all the low income renters into one block-long building at 89 Elm. One planning board member felt the design for 89 Elm was wrong and said she would fight for it to be two buildings.
Trees In response to concerns about Port Property’s plan to remove and replace almost all of the existing trees in the nine acre project area, the board confirmed that all proposed tree removals must be approved by the Parks and Recreation department.
Neighborhood residents expressed a hope that Port Property will be responsive to community feedback during the decade-long construction of the project. Though the planning board cannot require a neighborhood advisory panel, they noted the community’s request and suggested to the Port Property team it will be easier to get their future site plan approvals if the community is on board.
A recording of the meeting may be found here. Discussion of the 511 Congress project is first and the Bayside MDP discussion starts at the 2:09 mark. A Portland Press Herald article is here and a News Center Maine report is here.
* Like the 804 proposed Bayside units, the 107 apartments at 511 Congress will consist mostly of 1 BR & studio units with no parking included.
PUBLIC HEARING & POSSIBLE VOTE ON PORT PROPERTY’S BAYSIDE MASTER DEVELOPMENT PLAN
WHEN: Tuesday June 13, 5:30 PM WHERE: Via Zoom (go here and click on Agenda to find the meeting link and info on giving public comment)
The Planning Board will take public comment and possibly vote whether to approve Port Property’s proposal to re-develop several blocks of the Bayside neighborhood. The plan calls for 804 apartments in seven buildings from five to ten stories. Twenty-five per cent of the units must be affordable to tenants making up to 60% of the area median income.
As proposed, six buildings are reserved for 603 market rate units & a separate building will contain the 201 affordable units. The plan also proposes ground-floor retail, tenant parking in an off-site garage, open space, and a “woonerf” (shared street). For full details on the plan go here. The most recent documents were uploaded on 6/2/2023.
Share your thoughts by sending comments and questions to planningboard@portlandmaine.gov ASAP so the Planning Board has time to review. Reference Port Property’s Bayside Master Development Plan PL-002315-2022 in the subject line.
You can also speak for up to three minutes at the meeting.
Note – The first item on the agenda for this meeting is a public hearing for another Port Property project (under Tom Watson & Co.) that proposes to convert office space at 511 Congress Street into 107 housing units.
