The city of Bath needs more housing, badly. Many seniors are forced to leave our liveable city when they want to downsize. Young couples can’t find places to live close to downtown. BIW is trying to hire 1,000 additional workers. It would be nice if they lived close to work and not add to the bridge and Route 1 traffic.

On July 6, the Bath Planning Board will discuss an exciting project which would help meet the city’s housing needs as described in the Comprehensive Plan. The owner of the former Stinson Seafood Cannery at 65 Bowery St. in the North End neighborhood is asking the Planning Board, and then the City Council, to allow residential housing on the former industrial site. The 5.6-acre property has plenty of room to help alleviate Bath’s housing shortage. The breathtaking views along 850 feet of deep water frontage on the Kennebec River will certainly attract new homeowners.

In return for allowing housing on the currently zoned marine industrial site, the owner and developer Dirigo Holdings, LLC is offering to rebuild the waterfront and welcome the public. The draft site plan reportedly includes a staircase from Bowery Street to a picturesque riverwalk on the property below. A playground and a rebuilt pier and large floating dock with railings and benches is also being offered to the public. A limited number of boat slips would likely be reserved for the homeowners.

The vacant cannery lot has been an eyesore for a while now along the Kennebec River in Bath.

65 Bowery St. is a pleasant 10-minute walk through the North End neighborhood to downtown. I understand the project would include tasteful townhouses built over resident parking spaces. Only one-third of the property would be dedicated to housing, a short on-site road, and walkways. The remaining two-thirds would be a professionally landscaped in-town green space. This small urban waterfront village would be effectively buffered from the abutting wastewater treatment facility.

During the past decade, the property owner hired several commercial Realtors and myself and were unsuccessful in finding a buyer for a marine industrial use. However, boat building and storage, marine heavy construction, and seafood processing no longer require waterfront access. Marine fuel storage and salvage operators don’t want the liability of large trucks, cranes, and industrial chemicals traveling the narrow streets of Bath..

Let’s hope the Planning Board and City Council members have a fresh perspective to support this unique in-town redevelopment project. Adding new energy efficient housing on this spacious North End lot, and welcoming the public to enjoy the special riverfront, will be a forward-thinking model for Midcoast Maine while meeting several goals outlined in the Comprehensive Plan. A bonus would be the needed property tax revenues to help fund broader city services.

Reach out to your Bath Planning Board Members and City Councilors with your questions.