By Emma Bouthillette
Staff Writer
Kennebunkport officials are researching ways to provide affordable housing in the town, and using town-owned property may provide the land to do so.
The town of Kennebunkport owns a total of 54 parcels of land, including one less than two acre parcel off Mills Road and three adjacent parcels off Old Cape Road comprising an 18-acre lot that would provide adequate property to build affordable homes.  
Town Manager Larry Mead said the town is currently looking for any possible deed restrictions on either property, and if there are no restrictions, the town will begin development on the smaller parcel and look into building one unit of “work force housing.”
 “The idea has been talked about too much in [Kennebunkport] without doing. Exploration is the next step to see if it is possible. I would like to go for it. It is definitely an item worth exploring,” said Kennebunkport Selectmen Chairman Matt Lanigan.
Lanigan said it was Selectman Allen Dagget who originally suggested to the board looking into town owned property for affordable housing.
Dagget said with lots in Kennebunkport selling for a minimum of $100,000 and the average homes between $250,000 and $300,000, the average wages of residents isn’t keeping up with the cost to buy land or a home.
“We need some affordable housing for our nurses, police officers and firemen. The average daily workers need to stay and live in our community. It is important to have all walks of life in this community,” Dagget said.
Mead said Kennebunk built a single unit of affordable housing one year ago. Kennebunkport selectmen have been consulting Kennebunk officials and Hissong Development, who built the one unit house on Ross Road.
Hissong Development Principal Ted Hissong said with property values  rising, families are finding they can’t afford to live in their towns.
“We need to find ways for the private and public sectors to work together on this problem,” Hissong said.
The company built a three-bedroom Cape Cod style home appraised at $225,000 when resident Erika Gosselin moved in September 2007, said Joan Tishkevich, Hissong Development marketing director. Kennebunk Town Assessor Daniel Robinson said the median cost of a home in the town is $250,000. Gosselin was awarded the home in August 2007 after an application process and a lottery, purchasing the house for the developer’s cost of $160,000.
Gosselin, who with her daughter was living in a mobile home on leased land nearby, said she couldn’t be happier with her new home.
“This house is probably the coolest thing that has ever happened to me. I couldn’t have asked for more. I like to show it off because people think it must not be the best quality, but this house is really solidly built. They didn’t cut corners,” Gosselin said.
She said with hardwood and tile floors, the latest appliances and a well built structure, maintenance has been easy, and with energy efficiency built in, heating and electric bills are affordable too.
Kennebunk Town Planner Judy Bernstein said Gosselin’s home on Ross Road was the first affordable housing unit in Kennebunk, but since then three other projects have come to fruition, including sites on Cat Mousam Road and at the former Cousens School. Construction is soon to start at Bethesda Housing off Portland Road.
Hissong Development is currently working on Terrace Green, a plan to bring seven affordable houses to the West Kennebunk area. Hissong said the plan received voter approval and will now be taken through a formal application process.
“From a town’s perspective, it is something easy for towns to take a look at property and the potential for affordable housing. Contractors argue because the price of land is so high, but a town can participate and throw in land value for developers to bring the cost down,” Bernstein said.
Kennebunkport selectmen will review any restrictions on town-owned property and discuss options for affordable housing at their next meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 14 at the Village Fire Station.