Neighbors ask council to rescind land offer amid changes to Winter Street housing proposal

Residents concerned about the proposed Winter Street housing development urged the Lisbon Falls Town Council on July 7 to rescind a prior municipal land offer and restart public review after the developer withdrew the original application and signaled a material change to project scope.

Bob Naylor, who identified himself as a Lisbon resident, told the council the developer has ‘‘officially withdrawn their application’’ and is seeking to revise the project due to funding constraints. He asked the council to formally rescind the municipal land agreement and to require a fresh review and impact study. "If that agreement was formalized in an executive session... and then simply voted into acceptance in the public forum, [it] remains legally vulnerable to a challenge," Naylor said, citing Maine's Freedom of Access Act (MRSA 1 §405).

Kelsey Churrington, an abutter at 32 Winter Street, said the neighborhood would be harmed by higher-density development: "I'm opposed to the Winter Street development… destroying my neighborhood and privacy, destroying the green space and wetlands, cutting down trees, and destroying the wildlife passageway," she said. Churrington also raised concerns about sewer holding tanks, school capacity and road wear.

Council members responded that the planning board handles many development reviews and that some projects never come before the council if they meet the town's land-use criteria. The chair and town manager said decisions to authorize staff negotiations and to execute subsequent agreements were recorded in the public record and that any documents on file are available for public review. Councilors said they have requested to meet with the developer but had not yet received a response. The town manager said packets and materials would be posted online when available so residents can review them and ask informed questions.

Councilors also explained relevant zoning context: the neighborhood is zoned limited residential and, since 2022, state changes (including LD 2003) required towns to update ordinances to allow certain multifamily uses in formerly single-family zones. Several councilors emphasized that the planning board conducts technical reviews for traffic, stormwater and infrastructure impacts and that public hearings would be part of the review process should the developer resubmit an application.

What happens next: Council members said staff will post application materials and planning-board notices on the town website. Residents asked the council to consider formally rescinding the prior land authorization and to require updated comprehensive impact studies for any materially different proposal.

Provenance: public comments and council responses at the July 7 meeting; resident statements recorded to the council and staff.