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revised</title></head><body>
<div>They are coming to me in duplicate, too, but I think that is
because I am on both YRHC and YRHASC email lists. Looks like these
last few emails went to both. That could be the reason.</div>
<div><br></div>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial" size="-1"
color="#000080">Hi Mark, For some reason e-mails that you have
sent to the Housing Committee, are coming to me in duplicate -
Weird!!!</font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial" size="-1"
color="#000080"> </font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>
<hr size="2"></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Tahoma"
size="-1"><b>From:</b> yrhasc-bounces@townoflongisland.us
[mailto:yrhasc-bounces@townoflongisland.us]<b> On Behalf Of</b>
Mlongreene2@aol.com<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Monday, January 21, 2008 2:27 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> housingcommittee@townoflongisland.us<br>
<b>Cc:</b> yrhasc@townoflongisland.us; cmcduffie@earthlink.com<br>
<b>Subject:</b> [yrhasc] Fwd: Housing section
revised</font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font
face="Times New Roman"> </font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial" size="-1"
color="#000000">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. </font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial" size="-1"
color="#000000">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</font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial" size="-1"
color="#000000"> </font><br>
<blockquote>
<hr size="2"></blockquote>
<blockquote><font face="Arial" size="-1" color="#000000">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</font></blockquote>
<blockquote><font face="Arial" size="-1"
color="#000000"> </font></blockquote>
<blockquote><font face="Arial" size="-1" color="#000000">Town of Long
Island 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 Long Island
includes:<br>
<span
></span
> <span
></span
> <span
></span>
Last Plan (Fall 1993) Fall
2006<br>
Types of
Dwellings
Numbers <span
></span> Numbers<br>
Single family frame dwellings 308
308 dwelling units
362 362<br>
dwelling units<br>
Two family frame
dwellings <span
></span> 4
8 dwelling units
2 4<br>
dwelling units<br>
<br>
Three family
dwellings
1 3 dwelling
units
0 0<br>
dwelling units<br>
Mobile
homes <span
></span>
3 3 dwelling
units
1 1 dwelling unit<br>
Total <span
></span> 322
dwelling units 367
dwelling units<br>
<br>
Use of Dwellings<br>
In winter
use <span
></span>
80 <span
></span>
97<br>
Seasonal
use <span
></span>
242 <span
></span> 270<br>
Total <span
></span> 322
dwelling units 367 dwelling
units<br>
<br>
Age of Dwellings<br>
Under 25 yrs.
old <span
></span>
42 <span
></span>
80<br>
Over 25 yrs.
old
280 <span
></span> 287<br>
Total <span
></span> 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 Long Island. 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 "bulge" 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
Long</font></blockquote>
<blockquote><font face="Arial" size="-1" color="#000000">Island 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 ,
"accessory<br>
dwelling units" which are "to provide enhanced opportunities
to<br>
accommodate housing for family/relative members while protecting
the<br>
single -family character of existing residential neighborhoods".
They<br>
must be "primarily accessed through the existing living area of
the<br>
primary structure", designed to be "subordinate in scale and
mass",<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 "detached building used exclusively for
the<br>
residential occupancy by two (2) or more families and containing
two<br>
(2) or more dwelling units." 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 "bulge" 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>
Long Island 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 Long Island 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 Long
Island<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 Long Island, 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 U.S.<br>
Census 2000. The affordability index for Long Island is not
available<br>
because there were fewer than 4 home sales on Long (and other
small</font></blockquote>
<blockquote><font face="Arial" size="-1" color="#000000">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 Great Diamond Island: 0.20 and Peaks Island, 0.36, and
the<br>
statistic from the State of Maine is 0.70. This suggests that the<br>
affordablility on Long may be lower if not worse (than Peaks or
Great<br>
Diamond Island) 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>
"The 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's 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 Long Island to treat
manufactured<br>
housing the same as stick built housing.<br>
<br>
2. It is the policy of the Town of Long Island 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 Long Island to seek to
achieve at</font></blockquote>
<blockquote><font face="Arial" size="-1" color="#000000">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 Long Island.</font><br>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial" size="-1"
color="#000000"><br>
<br>
</font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>
<hr size="2"></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial" size="-1"
color="#000000">Start the year off right.</font> <a
href=
"http://body.aol.com/fitness/winter-exercise?NCID=aolcmp00300000002489"
><font face="Arial" size="-1" color="#000000">Easy ways to stay in
shape</font></a><font face="Arial" size="-1" color="#000000"> in the
new year.</font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><br>
_______________________________________________<br>
yrhasc mailing list<br>
yrhasc@townoflongisland.us<br>
http://townoflongisland.us/mailman/listinfo/yrhasc_townoflongisland.u<span
></span>s</blockquote>
<div><br></div>
<div><br></div>
<x-sigsep><pre>--
</pre></x-sigsep>
<div>Judy Paolini<br>
TPDA<br>
207-871-1813 office<br>
207-329-6153 cell<br>
judyp@tpda.com</div>
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