🔒‘Buffer zone’ between large music venues gets thumbs down from Portland Planning Board
Mile Marker Investment's proposed site for the Portland Music Hall, at 245 Cumberland Ave., sits the corner of Myrtle Street (across the street from Merrill Auditorium). The front of the music hall would be situated approximately where the snow banks are. PHOTO / PETER VAN ALLEN
A proposal to require an enhanced buffer zone between large entertainment venues found no support Tuesday night from the Portland Planning Board. City Council will make the final decision.
After a brief public hearing and deliberation, the Portland Planning Board Tuesday night voted 5-0 against adoption of an increased buffer zone between large performance venues.
The request to enhance the city’s existing 100-foot buffer zone to 750 feet was put forth by two city council members — Wesley Pelletier, who represents District 2, and Pious Ali, councilor at large.
The stated goals were to avert anticipated traffic congestion and risks to public safety when events at nearby venues with more than 1,000-seat capacities coincide.
City Council still has the final vote on the proposed buffer zone. If passed, it would effectively kill the proposed Portland Music Hall, designed to be built in close proximity to the Merrill Auditorium.
The two venues would face one another across one-way Myrtle Street. The Merrill Auditorium fronts Congress Street and the proposed music hall would have a street address of 245 Cumberland Ave.
The project, put forth by Scarborough-based Mile Marker Investments with partner Live Nation Entertainment Inc. (NYSE: LYV), calls for a 66,000-square-foot concert hall with seating for 3,300 guests.
The Portland Music Hall project was first submitted in December 2024 and has been subject to two 180-day retroactive moratoriums, one of which is in effect until August, though the City Council could vote to terminate it prematurely.
Developers Howard Goldenfarb, left, and his son, Todd Goldenfarb, on Cumberland Avenue across the street from the proposed Portland Music Hall site. PHOTO / TIM GREENWAY
Developers Todd and Howard Goldenfarb and their lawyers have repeatedly pointed out that the project meets the current zoning laws. But the proposal has met with resistance from some residents concerned about strains on parking in the downtown district.
City research finds there is ample parking at garages and in the Top of the Old Port lot on Pearl Street, even when multiple large events are underway in the city.
The proposal has been supported by a number of businesses, including the Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce, and residents who view the addition of the music hall as a revenue and job generator. An April 2025 study by Oxford Economics projected an economic impact of $44 million, up to 500 new jobs and $2.7 million annually in state and local taxes.
Speakers who commented Tuesday night during the public input session said a buffer zone runs contrary to the tenets of the city’s comprehensive plan.
Kevin Kraft, Portland’s director of planning and urban development, said studies by his department conclude that a buffer zone is not necessary, and the Planning Board, on Tuesday night, agreed.
Board members said the city’s current regulatory process is sufficient to review projects on a case-by-case basis. Board member Nick Messina said the buffer zone proposal amounted to a “blunt spatial tool incorrectly being applied to address site-specific issues,” which the city can mitigate through other means.
Portland’s City Council will have the final say on the buffer zone and has the authority to disregard the Planning Board’s recommendation. Council is scheduled to next meet on Monday, April 13, but no agenda has yet been released.
