By Emma Bouthillette 

Staff Writer

Three Kennebunkport residents voiced their concerns during the Aug. 20 Kennebunkport Planning Board public hearing on the conditional uses of three multiplexes in the proposed 87-acre “Olde Port Village” subdivision between North and School streets. 

The multiplexes, located in the first two lots entering the subdivision off North Street, will make up the first 12 of an 80-unit subdivision.

On the first lot, a four-unit multiplex is located on 3.7 acres of land and the second lot has a five-unit multiplex and three-unit multiplex on 4.96 acres. 

Resident Andrea Mabee expressed concern regarding the four-unit multiplex on the lot abutting her back property line. 

“Having a multiplex of this scale and size is like having an apartment house next to my property. And with the current design, which is very much like a large motel, there is no question that my property will be negatively impacted,” Mabee said. 

She said not only would the multiplex affect her property value, but added traffic and headlights at night and noise from the multiplex would have a detrimental effect on her “peaceful property.”

Mabee also raised concerns about wildlife habitat. She said she has seen woodpeckers, hawks, turkeys, blue heron, numerous other birds, moose, deer, possum, rabbits, coyote, fox, woodchucks, weasels and raccoons in her backyard.

Planning Board Chairman David Kling said various wildlife organizations, including Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, Department of Environmental Protection and Army Corp of Engineers, have reviewed the site and have all confirmed construction will not destroy habitats. 

Architect Bob Metcalf of Mitchell and Associates said the overall distance between the corner of multiplex and the back corner of the Mabee’s home is 200 feet and at least 100 feet of land would be left undisturbed. 

He said the natural wooded area, plus supplemental planting of eight-to-10-foot balsam firs, white firs and white pines would add to the existing buffer.

In response to Carl Mabee’s question about the grade of the land, Metcalf said there was a four foot drop across a 100 foot distance, putting the Mabee’s second floor above the second floor of the multiplexes.

Kennebunkport resident Nancy Madison was concerned about overall lighting in the subdivision, but Kling said there is a town lighting ordinance that will review lighting plans to limit the amount of light the subdivision produces. 

While residents were concerned about the multiplexes affecting their way of life, the board questioned the design of the garages for each unit protruding from the façade located between the units. 

At a previous meeting, board member Gordon Ayer cited the multiplex section of the town ordinance, which states “garages or other accessory buildings shall not be located between multiplex buildings and the front lot line.”

Kennebunkport Code Enforcement Officer Brian Shaw met with Developer Tom Macone of CDMK, LLC Properties and Metcalf to discuss whether or not the design conflicted with the ordinance.

A redesign of the units added living space above the garage, which Shaw said complies with the ordinance. 

“With no living space above the garage, I had a problem with that because [the garage] was between the units. But now with living space, the garage is not detached, it is not an accessory and it doesn’t inhibit emergency access,” Shaw said. 

Despite the change in floor plan, board member John Hathaway is concerned about the wording of the ordinance and the board’s final decision. 

“There is a huge implication of future planning for this town. This development is precedent setting,” he said. 

The planning board deferred their decision on the conditional uses of the multiplexes and clubhouse and the initial site plan review until a special meeting scheduled for 7 p.m. Aug. 27 after The Post deadline.