The condo building proposed at 19 Willis St. has highlighted the tension between some longtime residents on Munjoy Hill and the need to develop more housing in Portland. Rendering courtesy Kaplan Thompson Architects

The Portland Planning Board voted unanimously Tuesday night to reopen a case about a controversial project to build condominiums on Munjoy Hill after Maine’s top court issued a ruling last year sending the plan back to the city for reconsideration.

The project was approved unanimously by the board in 2021 despite neighbors’ concerns that the building wouldn’t fit with the character of the neighborhood and could drive up rental prices.

Munjoy Hill residents appealed the board’s decision to Cumberland County Superior Court, arguing that the project failed to meet height, setback and historic preservation design-review requirements under city code. They then appealed to the Maine Supreme Judicial Court after the superior court upheld the planning board’s decision.

But the high court ruled that there wasn’t enough evidence for the justices to meaningfully review the board’s decision and ordered the lower court to send the case back to the board.

There was no discussion about the project on Tuesday night, just quiet consensus to reconsider it while abiding by the unusual process put forth by the court.

Before the city can vote on the project again it is required to hold a public hearing to collect more information on the case.

The proposed development, at 19 Willis St., would be a four-story, 12-unit condominium building.

At the hearing, set for December, the board will listen to evidence from both the developer and the neighbors fighting the development.