The Cumberland Town Council Monday approved a tax increment financing district for one of three proposed affordable housing developments it wants built in town.
The 6-1 vote to establish a TIF district for a 110-unit development on Drowne Road followed a public hearing where residents said they were concerned about the yet unknown impact on taxpayers along with adding housing to town when schools are already overcrowded.
The other two affordable housing projects are planned for West Cumberland and the Foreside.
A TIF district allows added tax revenue from a building project to subsidize the development. TIF districts have typically been used for economic development, Councilor Mark Segrist said, but towns are allowed to use TIF funds for affordable housing.
“Two things are true: We need a new school,” Segrist said. “We need more space for the growing community, but we also need more affordable rental units for residents in the town.”
Councilor Michael Edes, who voted against the TIF, said he could not support the affordable housing projects without knowing the cost and does not see himself voting in favor of the projects any time soon.
Some of the about 30 members of the public who attended the meeting also called upon the council to quantify the costs of its affordable housing plan and its impact on taxpayers.
Segrist told residents that while the council can not offer a potential cost for projects that don’t exist yet, it will look seriously at the costs when a project comes to the table.
Town Manager Bill Shane told The Forecaster last week that while construction and day-to-day management of the affordable housing projects will come at no cost to taxpayers, it would be inaccurate to say that some portion of tax dollars wouldn’t ever be used.
Audience members Monday also said they were concerned about an influx of new residents.
“I feel like you’re going to trade one of us for another who, day one, is going to have a hard time financially staying in Cumberland,” resident Teri Maloney-Kelly said.
Adding housing, other residents said, would put pressure on the already crowded schools in town. A referendum to build a new elementary school failed in November, and the school board has been working on both short-term and long-term solutions to the overcrowding.
“It’s time for us to put the brakes on new housing until we stabilize our schools’ environments and needs,” resident Joyce Baughan said.
Several residents, including the Rev. Allison Smith of Cumberland Congregational Church, voiced their support for the projects.
Smith said she is “excited” about the possibility of affordable housing, and urged fellow residents to welcome new residents.
“This is an opportunity for us to build a community that is welcoming, accessible, and that matters,” Smith said. “It is not the time to close the door on people.”
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