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<DIV>Brenda, Ask Alden about that - I do not know why. MG</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV>In a message dated 1/21/2008 2:58:50 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
townoflongisland@verizon.net writes:</DIV>
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<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Hi Mark, For
some reason e-mails that you have sent to the Housing Committee, are coming to
me in duplicate \u2013 Weird!!!<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face=Tahoma size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma">From:</SPAN></FONT></B><FONT
face=Tahoma size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma">
yrhasc-bounces@townoflongisland.us [mailto:yrhasc-bounces@townoflongisland.us]
<B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">On Behalf Of
</SPAN></B>Mlongreene2@aol.com<BR><B><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Sent:</SPAN></B> Monday, January 21, 2008 2:27
PM<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">To:</SPAN></B>
housingcommittee@townoflongisland.us<BR><B><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Cc:</SPAN></B> yrhasc@townoflongisland.us;
cmcduffie@earthlink.com<BR><B><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Subject:</SPAN></B> [yrhasc] Fwd: Housing section
revised</SPAN></FONT><o:p></o:p></P></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=black size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Hi All, I know
I sent a previous draft of this for your review. This is a further
modified one in response. PLEASE GIVE THIS DRAFT A FINAL REVIEW ASAP so
the Comp. Plan folks can put it to bed.
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=black size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">My personal opinion
is that they have done a great job accommodating our concerns and progress,
but further input is welcome. Please reply to Chris McDuffie, but feel
free to copy me if you want.
Mark<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
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style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
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<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=black size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">From:
cmcduffie@earthlink.net<BR>To: Mlongreene2@aol.com<BR>Sent: 1/21/2008
11:45:41 A.M. Eastern Standard Time<BR>Subj: Housing section
revised<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=black size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 12pt"><FONT face=Arial color=black
size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Town
of <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Long
Island</st1:place></st1:City> Comprehensive Plan<BR>Housing<BR>1/13/08
DRAFT<BR><BR>A thorough inventory of housing was accomplished in the fall of
2006 by <BR>using real estate tax maps, other Town records and
walking/driving <BR>through all neighborhoods. Present housing on <st1:place
w:st="on">Long Island</st1:place> includes:<BR>
Last Plan (Fall
1993) Fall 2006<BR> Types
of Dwellings Numbers
Numbers<BR>Single family frame
dwellings 308 308 dwelling units
362 362 <BR>dwelling units<BR>Two family frame
dwellings 4
8 dwelling units 2
4 <BR>dwelling units<BR><BR>Three family dwellings
1 3 dwelling
units 0 0
<BR>dwelling units<BR><st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Mobile</st1:place></st1:City> homes
3 3 dwelling
units 1 1
dwelling unit<BR> Total
322 dwelling units
367 dwelling units<BR><BR> Use of Dwellings<BR>In winter
use 80
97<BR>Seasonal use
242
270<BR> Total
322 dwelling units 367
dwelling units<BR><BR> Age of Dwellings<BR>Under 25 yrs. old
42
80<BR>Over 25 yrs.
old 280
287<BR> Total
322 dwelling
units 367 dwelling units<BR><BR>As of the fall of
2006 there were known to be on the market: 5 winter <BR>and 2 seasonal
dwellings<BR><BR>Existing Housing<BR><BR>Almost all frame dwellings are free
standing single-family homes. There <BR>are only 3 exceptions. Most
dwellings, with a few exceptions of long <BR>unoccupied structures, are in
moderate to good repair. House lots range <BR>in size from 1750 sq. ft. to
698,688 sq. ft. Valuations for property <BR>tax purposes range from $15,560
to $612,980. Homes are served by <BR>private wells and septic systems. There
is no municipal water supply <BR>servicing <st1:place w:st="on">Long
Island</st1:place>. Housing development possibilities are limited by <BR>our
ground water resources and the ability of our soils to handle our <BR>septic
wastes.<BR><BR>Recent Development<BR><BR>Since the last Comprehensive Plan a
\u201cbulge\u201d in home building resulted <BR>from one subdivision, done by
Northland in the 1990s at the Tank Farm <BR>location involved 27 lots with
deed restrictions which do not allow <BR>further subdivision of these lots.
These lots range from 1.1 acre to <BR>4.25 acres. Some of these 27 lots are
zoned for business. Although many <BR>homes have been built since the last
Comprehensive Plan, 111 surveys <BR>thought this rate of growth was "too
fast", while 110 thought it was <BR>'just right", while 4 thought it was
"too slow". Questions of water and <BR>sewage disposal may limit future
housing development even though there <BR>is sufficient undeveloped land.
The strongest response to any of the <BR>questions on the Plan Questionnaire
was to the question: "Should <st1:place w:st="on">Long
<BR>Island</st1:place> take steps to retain its rural character?" The
answers were 213 <BR>-yes, 17 -no, and 3- no opinion.<BR><BR>Two
modifications in the zoning ordinance which were adopted at the <BR>Town
Meeting in 2007 may result in more housing units. One is <BR>permitting, as
a conditional use in the three zones IR-1, IR-2 and IB <BR>where single
family residential use has been permitted , \u201caccessory <BR>dwelling units\u201d
which are \u201cto provide enhanced opportunities to <BR>accommodate housing for
family/relative members while protecting the <BR>single -family character of
existing residential neighborhoods\u201d. They <BR>must be \u201cprimarily accessed
through the existing living area of the <BR>primary structure\u201d, designed to
be \u201csubordinate in scale and mass\u201d, <BR>have at least 500 sq. ft. and not
exceed 50% of the floor area of the <BR>main dwelling unit, and the septic
system must meet the standards of <BR>the Maine Plumbing Code for the number
of bedrooms proposed.<BR><BR>The second ordinance change would allow
multi-family dwellings as a <BR>conditional use in the I-B Island
Business Zone. A multi-family <BR>dwelling is defined as a \u201cdetached
building used exclusively for the <BR>residential occupancy by two (2) or
more families and containing two <BR>(2) or more dwelling units.\u201d The septic
system must be certified by a <BR>licensed Site Plan Evaluator that it
meets the standards of the Maine <BR>Plumbing Code for proposed multi-unit
dwelling.<BR><BR>Although the \u201cbulge\u201d resulting from the Northland lot
development may <BR>be over, these new ordinances may create a new spurt of
building.<BR><BR>Seasonal vs Year Round Occupancy<BR><BR><st1:place
w:st="on">Long Island</st1:place> has a large seasonal population. Of the
367 dwelling units, <BR>270 are used seasonally and 97 are occupied year
round. Both categories <BR>have grown since the last Comprehensive Plan, but
the proportion of <BR>three-quarters of the dwelling units on <st1:place
w:st="on">Long Island</st1:place> being seasonal has <BR>remained nearly the
same. Some seasonal cottages have been, and are <BR>being, converted for
winter use. Some new homes have been built to <BR>accommodate year round
use, but are being occupied seasonally. Some <BR>folks, who may or may not
have been seasonal residents of <st1:place w:st="on">Long Island</st1:place>
<BR>during their working lives, are retiring to become year round residents
<BR>on the island. Some year round island residents are retiring and
<BR>becoming seasonal island residents as they spend a long winter season
<BR>in warmer climates, often changing their legal residence when they do
<BR>so because of more favorable tax laws in other states.<BR><BR>Senior
Housing and Assisted Living<BR><BR>A committee on Long Island has
investigated the possibility of <BR>establishing an assisted living facility
on <st1:place w:st="on">Long Island</st1:place>, but because <BR>the
committee found that we do not have sufficient numbers of citizens <BR>who
would require these services such a project could not be justified, <BR>and
this is not being pursued at this time. We have one private home <BR>which
provides assisted living to two senior citizens, and there are <BR>private
in-home care arrangements when needed, but our community has to <BR>rely on
off island services for nursing and assisted living situations. <BR>It is
hoped that the new accessory dwelling unit ordinance may help <BR>address
some of the needs of older residents who need some in-home
<BR>assistance.<BR><BR>Affordable Housing<BR><BR>The high cost of land, of
constructing a proper septic system and of <BR>drilling a well inhibits the
building of new low cost homes as does the <BR>higher cost of construction
itself due to transportation costs from the <BR>mainland to the island of
materials and also labor, particularly if <BR>off-island contractors are
used. Manufactured, or modular, housing with <BR>the component parts brought
to the island on a barge, has been one <BR>answer for some families to help
reduce the cost of new construction. <BR>Because many of the
seasonal-to-winter conversions have been <BR>accomplished by the
homeowners themselves over a period of years with <BR>frugally purchased
materials and using their own labor, the process of <BR>renovation has made
them in some sense "affordable".<BR><BR>The medium income of Long Island is
$35,833 according to the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region> <BR>Census 2000. The
affordability index for <st1:place w:st="on">Long Island</st1:place> is not
available <BR>because there were fewer than 4 home sales on Long (and other
small <BR>islands the year it was done - 2005) but if you check the
recent <BR>Island Indicators report on the Island Institute website,
there is an <BR>affordability index in there for many other
islands. An index of <BR>"less than "1" means the area is
generally unaffordable - i.e. a <BR>household earning area median income
could not cover the payment on a <BR>median priced home (30 year mortgage,
taxes, and insurance) using no <BR>more than 28% of gross
income." Examples cited from the Casco Bay <BR>islands are
<st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Great</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceName
w:st="on">Diamond</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">Island</st1:PlaceType>: 0.20 and <st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">Peaks</st1:PlaceType> <st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">Island</st1:PlaceType>, 0.36, and the <BR>statistic from the State
of <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Maine</st1:place></st1:State>
is 0.70. This suggests that the <BR>affordablility on Long may be lower
if not worse (than Peaks or <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName
w:st="on">Great</st1:PlaceName> <BR><st1:PlaceName
w:st="on">Diamond</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">Island</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>) although the substantially
lower taxes on Long may help <BR>offset this.We have a low median income in
a high priced housing area. <BR><BR>In response to concern expressed
about attracting and keeping young <BR>year-round families on the island, a
Year Round Housing Committee has <BR>been very active for the past year and
a half, working to devise a way <BR>to create new housing for year round
residents. We enjoy the vigor <BR>young families add to the island
population, and we appreciate, and <BR>very much need, their participation
in the many volunteer activities <BR>that keep this island functioning on a
year round basis.<BR><BR>In the early part of 2007 two surveys prepared by
the Year Round <BR>Housing Committee were sent. One survey was sent to
individual <BR>residents (one per individual resident 18 years or older) and
a <BR>different survey was sent to seasonal households (one per household).
<BR>Of 182 surveys sent to individual residents 81 were returned. Of 200
<BR>surveys sent to seasonal households 126 were returned. Although the
<BR>body of the two surveys were different, the last two questions were
<BR>asked to both surveyed groups as follows:<BR><BR>QUESTIONS
ASKED:<BR>\u201cThe Year Round Housing Committee is researching a proposal to
build a <BR>single-family, year-round rental house on town land. As
conceived, it <BR>would be funded primarily through grant money, low
interest loans, and <BR>would be owned and managed by a non-profit entity
separate from the <BR>Town government.<BR><BR>Do you think the YRHC should
proceed with studying this starter <BR>project? ___Yes ___No<BR>Do you think
the YRHC should proceed with a different project?___Yes
<BR>___No<BR><BR>RESPONSES from each group:<BR>Seasonal resident households
responded:<BR>Do you think the YRHC should proceed with studying this
starter <BR>project? Yes: 77 (61%) and No: 34 (27%)<BR>Do you think the YRHC
should proceed with a different project? Yes: 23 <BR>(18%) and No: 42
(33%)<BR><BR>Year round individual residents responded:<BR>Do you think the
YRHC should proceed with studying this starter <BR>project? Yes: 41 (65%)
and No: 16 (25%)<BR>Do you think the YRHC should proceed with a different
project? Yes: 20 <BR>(32%) and No: 19 (30%)<BR><BR>The proposal of the Year
Round Housing Committee has evolved since the <BR>survey to propose, instead
of rental housing, that the town lease lots <BR>of town owned land for
houses to be built by year round residents. <BR>This proposal
contributes to affordability by removing the cost of land <BR>acquisition
from the homeowner\u2019s building costs. It also honors the <BR>reluctance shown
in the Comprehensive Plan survey to the town spending <BR>money for low cost
housing, because this current proposal would <BR>generate the same annual
income for the town (in the form of rent for <BR>the land) as if taxes were
being paid, while restricting the housing <BR>for year round use. The 2007
Town Meeting agreed to allow the long term <BR>lease of four town owned lots
for individual owner-built year round <BR>houses. The Year Round Housing
Committee continues to work to develop <BR>the criteria and protocols for
this creative effort as well as looking <BR>at other forms of housing
initiatives to further broaden the options <BR>for the community in the
future. <BR><BR>Housing Policy<BR><BR>1. It is the policy of the
Town of <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Long
Island</st1:place></st1:City> to treat manufactured <BR>housing the same as
stick built housing.<BR><BR>2. It is the policy of the Town of
<st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Long Island</st1:place></st1:City>
to take steps to make <BR>it possible and desirable for young families to
locate and remain here.<BR><BR>3. It is the policy of the Town of
<st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Long Island</st1:place></st1:City>
to seek to achieve at <BR>least 10% of all housing built or placed during
the next decade be <BR>affordable.<BR><BR>Housing Policy Implementation
Strategy<BR><BR>The Year Round Housing Committee will continue its work to
provide <BR>affordable year round housing on <st1:place w:st="on">Long
Island</st1:place>.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-TOP: 7.5pt"><FONT face=Arial color=black
size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Start
the year off right. <A
title=http://body.aol.com/fitness/winter-exercise?NCID=aolcmp00300000002489
href="http://body.aol.com/fitness/winter-exercise?NCID=aolcmp00300000002489"
target=_blank>Easy ways to stay in shape</A> in the new year.
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV></DIV><BR><BR>_______________________________________________<BR>yrhasc
mailing
list<BR>yrhasc@townoflongisland.us<BR>http://townoflongisland.us/mailman/listinfo/yrhasc_townoflongisland.us<BR></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV></FONT><BR><BR><BR><DIV><FONT style="color: black; font: normal 10pt ARIAL, SAN-SERIF;"><HR style="MARGIN-TOP: 10px">Start the year off right. <A title="http://body.aol.com/fitness/winter-exercise?NCID=aolcmp00300000002489" href="http://body.aol.com/fitness/winter-exercise?NCID=aolcmp00300000002489" target="_blank">Easy ways to stay in shape</A> in the new year. </FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>