An aerial view of houses along Wells Beach on April 4, 2020. Wells voters are poised to decide whether to temporarily ban large-scale residential developments to give the town time to adjust policies to manage growth in the community. Gregory Rec/Staff Photographer, file

Wells voters are poised to decide whether to temporarily ban large-scale residential developments to give the town time to adjust policies to manage growth in the community.

The 180-day moratorium, which would extend from April to October, would not impact projects currently under review. But town leaders say they need more time to consider updates to zoning and land-use ordinances to make sure large developments don’t negatively impact the community.

“We felt we really need to get our hands around this and put a pause on large-scale development in town,” said Scott DeFelice, vice chair of the Wells Select Board. “Things are already pretty jammed up here, especially in the Route 1 area.”

Residents will vote on the moratorium at a special town meeting Aug. 6.

Talk of the moratorium began earlier this year when word began to spread about a proposed 158-unit housing development on a 121-acre parcel off of Route 1. That project has since been withdrawn, and town officials say the moratorium was never intended to specifically target that proposal.

But the project was clearly on people’s minds during a public hearing in April when two dozen residents described their concerns that a development of that size would overwhelm the town’s services, schools and infrastructure. Many were worried large developments would make traffic worse – especially on Route 1 – and would negatively impact quality of life in the community.

The town approved 76 subdivisions from 2009 to 2023, with an average size of 14 housing units. The largest development approved during that time was for 174 houses, but only 23 have been built so far.

Michael Livingston, the town planner and engineer, said the growth rate has been steady for years, but proposals for larger developments have been a growing concern among residents. During the past two months, the planning board has been reviewing applications for five subdivisions ranging in size from 6 to 36 lots.

DeFelice said the discussions about moratoriums and changes to ordinances are never easy when they could potentially impact how someone uses their property or puts people’s plans on hold for a while.

“It’s certainly a balancing act,” he said.

State law allows municipalities to enact a moratorium if there is a need to prevent a shortage or an overburden of public facilities as a result of a proposed development, or because the application of existing ordinances is inadequate to prevent serious public harm from residential development.

Wells is not the first community in southern Maine to consider a temporary pause on new development.

In 2022, Brunswick enacted a controversial retroactive moratorium that halted the review of projects with at least 30 housing units unless at least 15% of them were reserved for households making less than the area median income. The move was intended to slow a surge of new market-rate projects some feared would permanently box out more affordable developments.

Critics of the moratorium feared it would exacerbate the town’s problems by artificially limiting the supply of housing. The Town Council later extended the moratorium for an additional 180 days to give town staff more time to reexamine the town’s zoning ordinance.

The Wells moratorium would apply to subdivisions with 45 or more residential units. It will prevent the construction of any large-scale developments, the acceptance of any applications for large residential projects, and the issuance of any approval or permits related to developments of that size.

If the moratorium is enacted, it will be retroactive to April 16, the date of the public hearing. The select board could extend it for another 180 days after it expires in October.

Livingston said the planning board is already reexamining the zoning and land-use ordinances, with a public hearing on proposed changes scheduled for Aug. 12 with the select board. The changes focus on a wide range of standards and include increasing the amount of open space in subdivisions, eliminating duplexes on cluster lots and eliminating most density bonuses.

Those proposed changes will ultimately go to residents for approval, likely on the November ballot, Livingston said.

DeFelice said he hopes for a big turnout at the town meeting because the select board needs the community’s input.

“We need their direction on the way they would like to see the town operate,” he said. “This is everyone’s town, not just the board’s.”

Residents can vote from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Aug. 6 at the Wells Junior High gymnasium at 1470 Post Road. Absentee ballots are available at the town clerk’s office.