Freeport residents will help decide what projects the town will prioritize as it works over the next decade to upgrade the Route 1 corridor to make it more walkable and bikeable.
Freeport officials and the Maine Department of Transportation presented the proposed Village Corridor Initiative projects for public feedback to residents last Thursday.
Residents at last Thursday’s community open house at Freeport High School indicated they wanted to see sidewalk improvements, repurposed street space and protected bicycle lanes. Others will have the chance to voice their opinions through an online survey, which will be available until the last day of April on the town’s website.
Freeport plans to convert the intersection of School and Elm streets along Route 1 , which the MaineDOT designated as a high-crash zone, into an all-way stop. The town also plans an all-way stop at Main and Bow streets, in addition to adding a public plaza and narrowing the roadway, making it more walkable and accessible for bikes.
The town’s consultant, Stantec, will draft a report with project cost estimates in early summer, said Freeport Development Director Brett Richardson.
MaineDOT seeks discretionary federal grants to help move the project forward, although there will be challenges in the changing landscape of federal grant funding.
The Village Corridor project area has three sections: the village gateway, downtown village and northern corridor that runs from Maine Beer Company to Upper Mast Landing Road, said Stantec senior planner Jessa Berna.
Freeport will move forward on high-priority projects within the next year.
On April 1, the Freeport Planning Board unanimously voted on a recommendation to elevate new land-use regulations for the commercial three and one zones in the village gateway area on Route 1. The move is to create more flexibility for a variety of housing types, including mixed multifamily and the missing middle housing prioritized by the state, Richardson said.
The new land-use regulations will go forward to the Freeport Town Council, with potential approval in May.
“That is a big win,” Richardson said. “The town has, through its comprehensive plan, really come to a consensus that it makes a lot of sense to focus on new development along the Route 1 corridor.”
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