Waterville City Council slated to take final vote on Highwood Street rezoning

The Mid-Maine Homeless Shelter seeks to buy the property at 8 Highwood St. in Waterville and renovate it into apartments for seniors and disabled adults with families, with some emergency units for the homeless. Michael G. Seamans/Morning Sentinel file

WATERVILLE — The fate of a project to turn 8 Highwood St. into housing for the city’s most vulnerable is in the hands of the City Council, which is scheduled to take a final vote Tuesday on whether to rezone the property for that purpose.

The meeting is set to begin at 7 p.m. at The Elm at 21 College Ave. Those wanting to view it or take part remotely can do so via a link on the city’s website — www.waterville-me.gov.

Councilors took an initial 7-0 vote last week to approve the rezoning, which would enable the Mid-Maine Homeless Shelter to buy the old brick building and develop about 80% of it into apartments for seniors and adults with families, and 20% into emergency housing for the homeless.

That vote followed a May 3 vote by the council to reject the rezoning request, with some councilors saying people in the neighborhood support housing but do not want it at that location, and there are too may unanswered questions about the project. While more councilors voted for than against — the tally was 4-3 — rezoning requires a supermajority vote, according to new rules in the city charter.

Councilor Tom McCormick, an independent representing Ward 7, asked May 6 that the council reconsider its vote because he said there is a critical need for housing in the city. He and Councilors Mike Morris, D-Ward 1, and Rick Foss, R-Ward 5, voted last week in favor of rezoning, but Foss urged neighborhood residents and homeless shelter officials to discuss the matter to try to resolve some issues and find common ground before the council takes its final vote Tuesday.

Council Chair Rebecca Green, D-Ward 4, and Councilors Flavia DeBrito, D-Ward 2, Thomas Klepach, D-Ward 3, and Claude Francke, D-Ward 6, have consistently voted in favor of rezoning.

In other matters Tuesday, councilors are scheduled to consider taking a second, final vote to rezone the former Sacred Heart Catholic Church property at 72 Pleasant St. and 5 Middle St. so Ware-Butler Building Supply can use the office building on the property for its corporate offices and the parking lot for those using the offices. The actual church site itself is not included in the rezoning request.

The council also is slated to discuss the possibility of having a surveillance system for the RiverWalk at Head of Falls because of vandalism that has occurred there, including the removal of slats in the fence at the gazebo and graffiti at the amphitheater.

Councilors are also expected to consider a request to authorize Fitch & Associates LLC to do an analysis of delivery models for emergency medical services; approve a bid award for city audit services; approve amendments to the solar ground lease with MEVS Waterville LLC; authorize a marijuana cultivation Tier 2 license to Astro Terf LLC at 84 College Ave.; amend the licenses and permits ordinance regarding markets, craft fairs and merchandise sales; appoint members to the city’s historic preservation committee; and appoint Peter Phair to the Waterville Housing Authority commissioners.