A block of affordable housing units will be updated by Bateman Partners. Contributed

The Saco River Corridor Commission (SRCC) unanimously voted last week to rezone a small parcel of land near Rotary Park in Biddeford from “Limited Residential” to “General Development.” This allows for the continued progress of a proposed affordable housing project in the area.

The decision was made largely on updated mapping technology that was not available when the SRCC was created by the Maine Legislature in 1973. Previously, the parcel of land near Rotary Park was deemed to be within the floodplains, but this is not the case.

This adjustment will allow an affordable housing project from Bateman Partners Developers to move a step forward. For continued progress, the developers need to apply for Maine State Housing Authority funding and to present the project to the Biddeford Planning Board.

In January, Bateman Partners proposed building 60 new affordable housing units at Forest Green near Rotary Park and updating 32 more at the Summer Street Block near Pizza by Alex.

Funded by low-income tax credits from the Maine State Housing Authority, the new apartments would be one and two-bedroom family units designated for those earning at or below 60% Area Median Income (AMI) to keep them affordable.

The current AMI in Biddeford is $69,794 according to the city’s municipal website.

Bateman Partners Vice President Nathan Bateman told the Courier in January that the location of Forest Green is “very appropriate” for the expansion of affordable housing.

At the time, the SRCC zoning was the only roadblock in the way for development to continue, though the project still has to go through all necessary planning and funding steps.

“Everything we can do to make this happen, we will do,” Bateman said.

Development of the two new 30-unit affordable housing buildings at Forest Green still needs to go through a number of steps before construction could begin, if approved. Bateman Partners will update its 32 existing Summer Street units in the next few months. The project is located in a historic building that was converted into affordable housing.

With funding from both low-income tax credits and historic building tax credits, Bateman Partners plan to bring the units up to date and in compliance with Biddeford safety codes.

The developments from Bateman Partners are just one of many affordable housing ventures in Biddeford, Mayor Martin Grohman said.

“Biddeford has become a real leader in affordable housing development,” Grohman told the Courier. “We’ve recently won some excellent projects and more are in the works.”

According to Grohman, two new workforce housing developments, The Eddy and The Eleven, have also recently hit the market.

“That’s important, because the foundation of our community — teachers, nurses, cops and firefighters, as well as our seniors — need affordable places to live,” Grohman said.