A concept rendering for an affordable housing project Kennebunk voters could be asked to approve this year. Contributed / Town of Kennebunk

Kennebunk could see a new workforce and affordable housing development in the form of an 80-unit project proposed by Spang Builders.

The project would be located on Traditional Lane, just off of Route 1, which is a partially wooded, currently vacant lot.

Tim Spang, the owner and president of Spang Builders, is asking Kennebunk voters to approve a contract zone in order to allow the project’s construction.

Currently, the lot on Traditional Lane is zoned as Business Park, Branch Brook Aquifer Protection, and Branch Brook Business Park adjacent.

At a Kennebunk Planning Board meeting on Jan. 27, Spang said his proposal is intended to help people who work in Kennebunk to be able to live in town and to provide opportunities for children who grow up in the community to live in it as adults.

As of December 2024, the average home price in Kennebunk was $867,000, according to Realtor.com.

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At this price, many people working in Kennebunk, including teachers, would not be able to afford a home.

Spang hopes to make homeownership a little bit easier for Kennebunk’s workforce.

“Through this, I hope it can happen,” Spang said.

The project would dedicate eight units, or 10% of units, as affordable housing, Spang said last week. A majority of the units would be intended for households with an annual income range between $75,000 and $125,000, according to town documents.

Aspects of the proposal are geared toward meeting the town’s 2024 Housing Needs Plan, and are in line with the town’s comprehensive plan, Civil Engineer Mike Tadema-Wielandt, of Terradyn Consultants in New Gloucester, said at last week’s meeting.

According to Tadema-Wielandt, the project would include walking trails, a dog park and outdoor spaces.

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“We hope to create a sense of community,” Tadema-Wielandt said.

But the project faced pushback from the Planning Board. Board members voiced concerns about traffic, project size and even the project’s aesthetic.

Board member Edward Trainer said he was concerned about the size of the project, calling it “substantial.” He also said he was worried about the potential environmental impact of the project.

A design plan for the proposed project. Contributed / Town of Kennebunk

In order to be approved, however, the project would have to go through the permitting process with the state’s Department of Environmental Protection.

If the department found the project to be too detrimental to the local environment, it would not be approved.

Also at last week’s meeting, board member Janice Vance said she was concerned about the project’s possible impact on traffic and safety in the area.

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Route 1 is a busy area with lots of speed changes, Vance said, and the project could add more traffic to the area.

“There’s a lot of issues with the overall concept,” she said.

Aesthetically, board member Richard Smith said the project might not fit in with the town’s architecture as a historical seaside village.

“The buildings are very nice looking,” Smith said, “but they’re more like what you’d see in Westbrook, or Portland, or Biddeford, or Sanford.”

The project could appear on the November ballot.

In the meantime, the Planning Board will hold a joint workshop with the Kennebunk Select Board in February, and a public hearing will be scheduled.

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