Proposed zoning changes draw concerned comments from Seaview Terrace residents

Proposed zoning changes draw concerned comments from Seaview Terrace residents

BELFAST — Proposed amendments to the city's zoning ordinances prompted residents of Seaview Terrace to ask councilors to reconsider the changes out of concern the character of their street will be negatively impacted.

The city is preparing for a series of three public hearings on proposed amendments to zoning ordinances for areas inside of the Route 1 bypass. As proposed, the changes would reduce the minimum lot size for new buildings to a ¼ acre as opposed to the current 1/3 acre. Other changes would allow construction on lots with no road frontage, as well as reformat the ordinances to make it easier for residents to determine the allowed or prohibited uses in a given area.

During a public comment portion of the council meeting, several residents of Seaview Terrace beseeched councilors to reconsider a proposal to move the road into the Residential 3 zoning district.

The Residential 3 zoning district would allow medical offices as a permitted use, but the Residential 1 and 2 zones would not allow such offices.

Seaview Terrace, which is a dead-end road located off of Northport Avenue, has been located in the Residential 2 zoning district since at least 1985, City Planner Wayne Marshall said. The existing zoning ordinances state medical offices are a permitted use within the district.

However, residents voiced their opposition to the proposal to place Seaview Terrace within the Residential 3 zoning district. Dawn Marriner, who said she wrote a letter to the councilors about the zoning, said the road is not designed to handle large amounts of traffic or accommodate a parking area for medical offices.

She continued by saying having medical offices located in a residential neighborhood would negatively affect the neighborhood.

Councilors listened to the comments and urged residents to attend the public hearings that will be conducted by the the planning board.

The following night, June 18, Marshall discussed the comments made by residents of Seaview Terrace with members of the planning board. Marshall suggested the board approve a change that would allow Seaview Terrace to be moved into the Residential 1 zoning district as opposed to the Residential 3 zoning district.

Marshall explained that Seaview Terrace was approved a residential subdivision and all of the existing properties are single-family residences.

The planning board approved moving Seaview Terrace into the Residential 1 zoning district.

A public hearing for Residential 1 zoning will be held Wednesday, June 25; Residential 2 and 3 will be held Wednesday, July 2; and the Downtown Waterfront Mixed-Use district will be held Tuesday, July 8.

All of the public hearings will be held in the Troy Howard Middle School cafeteria beginning at 6:30 p.m. While the meetings will not be televised live, they will be recorded for later viewing.

Comments (1)

POSTED BY: LAURIE LEE ALLEN | Jun 26, 2014 12:00

City Planner, Wayne Marshall seems incapable of concern for the basic rights and safety of residents in the path of his visions. Denying basic municipal services of sewers, drainage and roads- infrastructure 101. Maine Municipal Association is the rule book reference for local government expectations. Property taxes go to basic municipal services first. Instead, City owned properties, equipment and the worthy are the preferred club and get funding for wants. While the needs of residents are denied.

The City Planner has destroyed many. His plans are sneaky and locked up in his office. The watershed residents have taken the biggest slam. Corruption in run off and zoning conditions, development is the fast track. Destroying private property illegally with that run off is the plan to rid the watershed area of single family homes. Marshall flat out wrote that in his visions with the Comprehensive Plan where Seaview Terrace was slated for R3 Healthcare & Housing " more of the current single family houses likely will be converted into professional offices"

The plan to take out Seaview Terrace was calculated with increasing force since the plan was adopted. Why illegally force volumes of runoff to the watershed resident's? The Captain Albert Stevens School, insanely built on a swamp, on top of the watershed. Floors now cracking.,All that money, corrupt planning/approvals, start to finish, DEP, Army Corp, Belfast City Planner and players. All damning documents locked in the City Planners office. Follow the water- illegal slaughter to the residents. Proved and confirmed by Belfast City Manager, Joe Slocum in 12/2013, clearly waiting for the 7 year statutes to run out with the support of City Council by taking the 5th per City Attorney, Bill Kelly, 1/4/2012.

Almost four years of rhetoric and bullying to avoid responding to my original request for the conditions of compliance. The 2 mandatory conditions that would have stopped all the illegal runoff from that site to the watershed residents.One was the runoff impact study to the water shed residents, the other, an inspection by an engineer of the completed storm water system for compliance. Both critical and never done The storm water system was not built to compliance and the inspection and study would have caught that.

Calculated improvements were done in the millions for future use of development (now coming to light). The runoff from that massive site, sent illegally to the watershed residents to speed along the extermination plan. Full throttle by allowing this massive site and all sites (over 12) to break zoning conditions. Plowed snow is to be removed off site. Allowing these sites to stock pile all winter, all to melt in sync to the watershed residents. Flood City USA. City Hall laughs the other way and blames Mother Nature. They beat on any resident that challenges them. Confident weaving of corruption/intimidation tactics. Cedar Street , like most in the area- flooding to basements that were previously dry. Easily over 10 thousand spent by the resident in sump pump systems. And without storm sewers in many areas- where do they drain to? Another neighbor or into City sewage lines. Both illegal, neighbors suing each other and those into City lines, forced into silence. So, so nasty and unethical. Hunger Games turned into Flooding Games, same greed except this is reality and death to your property and soul.

Seaview Terrace is not even in that path- but the receiver of all- from CASS/Muck across Rte 1 National Guard- forcing, ditching, culverts, under roads, through land into all 3 sides of Seaview Terrace. In 2011, after 8 months of bullying by the City Hall white collars, I went public. Marshall says in this 11/1/11 meeting, that this force flooding would be difficult to fix. Marshall knowing we should not be getting one drop of outside runoff into Seaview Terrace, Marshall citing ordinance vaguely to drain to a public waterway.

(http://vimeo.com/31506248 11/1/11 City Hall Meeting- fast forward 20minutes, 44 seconds, I give almost 15 minutes of choking testimony. After my wrenching public plea to stop flooding us 52 minutes into meeting City Manager Joe Slocum tries to deflect from missing map and discredit me, that was only the beginning of the missing documents that Wayne must have hid when you hear him give the history of the development 56 minutes into meeting. When questioned by Council, Mike Hurley as to what is Belfast's Storm Water Ordinance, Wayne Marshall, City Planner and torturer of my life, states it directs to send storm water to nearest PUBLIC waterway- streams.  I have requested this ordinance since and he fails to produce it... he must be lying and Seaview Terrace is NOT a public waterway, the City has no right aways or easements...THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS!!Then Mike Hurley says this storm water flooding is Council's problem but then they vote to take no action in the 1/3/12 Meeting where they brought in the  City Attorney who had more public documents with held from me specific to my property. When I tried to question him he ran away and Council closed the discussion.)

I would find out later that month in 11/2011, on a surprise raid to City Hall, the original with held plans of Seaview Terrace proving the our private property drainage ditches were turned into a forced stream by the City. Not natural AT ALL and 100% corrupt destruction. DEP just as guilty. Commissioner Aho closing the corrupt investigation when I caught her with her head in the swamp. Claiming my private property ditch as DEP wetlands too!! Giving them regulation rights. Weave of the corrupt to the innocent and ethical.

Even in this meeting 11/1/11 meeting, Councilor Hurley says it's their job to fix. Guess the fix  was to pave over Seaview Terrace with the rezoning to R3 through inverse condemnation. Worse than eminent domain- the government avoids market value compensation by destroying through forced flooding and rock bottom compensation to property owners, if any at all.

Now that Seaview Terrace residents acted quickly, the Planning Board approved rezoning Seaview Terrace into proposed R 1. I sent an email with concerns as instructed to public@cityofblefast.org, all Council, City Manager, Mayor and City Planner. I attended the public hearing last night 6/25 and Wayne Marshall was playing semantics again, stating he did not receive any written concerns from the proposed R 1 public. Wayne refused to respond to questioning by Planning Chairman Paul Hamilton.

I read the email "Per Maine Municipal Association, property taxes are to go to resident infrastructure/storm water sewers. Per City Planner, Wayne Marshall "Examine how storm water is managed in through the area. City OFTEN LACKS ADEQUATE FACILITIES. This is a signfiicant neighbor to neighbor issue and could hinder the developments of professional offices in the area. Relying mostly on-site storm water management is both expensive and land consumptive for many uses."

The City has forced most storm water to Seaview Terrace illegally. We are not a natural outlet. More development will mean even more water slaughter to our private property. Wight St. sidewalks, huge developments on the Sanderson's parcels. From the Muck/CASS to National Guard down, illegally forcing into tiny Seaview Terrace. Probably even more.

Sending it to neighbors is not infrastructure. It's forced drowning. What is the plan to get all of this forced water out of Seaview Terrace and roadside sewer drainage for Seaview Terrace?"

City Planner, Wayne Marshall's response was cold. Many need basic infrastructure of sewers, but apparently not in his plans. City Manager Joe Slocum committed to repaving Seaview Terrace in conjunction with the water district who has advised water line work to Seaview Terrace in 2 weeks. The water district said the paving is in flux, Joe Slocum told them maybe in the fall?? And sewers for residents are too expensive- 220K. Even though the City USES us as a free sewer for 35+ years, destruction with no compensation. And City Hall just keeps kicking us! Belfast Planning Board Wayne Corey is right, Soviet Union.

Please spare me the public back lash.With holding information and basic rights  forced me into speculation and traps to make me look stupid and paranoid. Follow the water, that is the proof.