Recent resistance to a proposed covert venue in Portland could deter some developers from pursuing projects in Maine’s biggest city, Mayor Mark Dion warned in an interview with Mainebiz.
Recent resistance to a proposed concert hall in Portland could deter some developers from pursuing projects in Maine's biggest city, Mayor Mark Dion has warned.
“If I was a developer, it’s got to create some anxious math in my mind,” the former sheriff said in an
“On the Record” interview published in the June 15 edition of Mainebiz.
Dion sat down with Mainebiz before Live Music Holdings LLC filed a federal lawsuit against the city, challenging a development moratorium and zoning changes the developer alleges are “fundamentally unfair and amount to an abuse of power.”
The proposed project was essentially killed by a controversial
“buffer zone” requirement approved by the City Council.
Reflecting on the bigger picture, Dion warned of the situation’s “chilling effect” on future development.
“The amount of time, energy and funds that are necessary to take an idea from concept all the way through the planning process, get an approval and then wonder if the Council’s going to change the expectations mid-stream or claw back what had been understood to have been granted by right has a significant chilling effect,” he said.
“A developer would pause and consider whether or not their vision could be realized more reliably in an adjoining community.”
The city has declined to comment on the lawsuit, filed last week with the U.S. District Court in Maine.
The interview, available at the link below, also touched on Inclusionary Zoning, downtown storefront vacancies and diversifying the city's economy.
