Lincoln County Housing Needs Assessment
The Lincoln County Housing Needs Assessment completed with Camoin Associates is now available. This Housing Needs Assessment outlines county-wide demographics and economic profile, housing inventory and market trends, housing needs assessment, future growth opportunities, and strategies for the County and the municipalities.
The final report and the recording of the final presentation by Camoin Associates are available on this webpage!
(Read More)Housing Legislation - L.D. 2003
L.D. 2003 is An Act To Implement the Recommendations of the Commission To Increase Housing Opportunities in Maine by Studying Zoning and Land Use Restrictions. The bill was passed by the State Legislature and signed by the Governor in April 2022. The law went into effect July 27, 2022, however, a majority of the bill’s requirements do not take effect until July 1, 2023. The Commission was established under LD609 and provided 9 recommendations to increase affordable housing that was intended to address the shortage in Maine.
L.D. 2003 Q&A Sessions will be held throughout April 2023 and May 2023. Learn more here.
*This page is updated as new information becomes available*
(Read More)County Seeks Proposals To Assess Sheriff's Office Building
Lincoln County is seeking a licensed engineer or architect to prepare a site and structural assessment of the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office building, situated 42 Bath Road (Route 1), Wiscasset, ME. Such assessment will include a detailed description and cost estimate of what will be required to retrofit the building to meet current building, energy, and accessibility code requirements; an assessment of the site conditions to determine if soil and site conditions are favorable for such renovations; and an assessment, including cost estimate, of whether it would be more economical to construct a new facility on a different property.
The County will be accepting proposals through 2:00PM on Friday, June 2nd 2023. Formal proposals should be sent electronically to Michelle Richardson, County Treasurer, at mrichardson@lincounty.me. A pre-bid inspection of the Sheriff's Office will be held, Friday, April 28th 2023 at 2:00 PM. Those who are unable to attend this inspection can arrange another inspection time with Michelle prior to the RFP deadline.
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Summer 2023 "Assistance with Specific Know-How" (ASK) Grant Program
The Lincoln County Regional Planning Commission (LCRPC) plans to award an additional grant this summer for a municipal and/or community project in need of specific technical assistance, such as preliminary engineering/design, economic research, architectural
or environmental planning, for example, that will help solve a municipal issue or complete an important town project. The award amount is $2,500. LCRPC has already awarded four (4) ASK Grants this spring to Boothbay Harbor, Damariscotta, Nobleboro, and Waldoboro.
Proposals are due by Friday, June 30, 2023. Towns are encouraged to work with other towns on a joint project, should this be an effective and practical approach to a common issue.
(Read More)Community Resilience Partnership
The Governor's Office of Policy Innovation and the Future (GOPIF) program, The Community Resilience Partnership, is heading into it's second year! Lincoln County currently has 2 towns enrolled (Monhegan Island and Westport Island) with 4 more underway. Southport, Boothbay Harbor, Boothbay, and Wiscasset are currently in the process of enrolling in the Partnership with the assistance of their Service Provider.
Spring 2023 grants are now open!
Service Provider Grant applications are due June 23, 2023.
Community Action Grant applications are due July 7, 2023.
To learn more about The Community Resilience Partnership, check out our webpage!
(Read More)County-wide Housing Study
Housing is such an essential part of our lives -- as families, as communities. Lincoln County’s limited housing stock and housing costs have been challenged by several major factors: coastal issues of second-home retirement (long-term); short-term rentals (since 2010 or so); competition for workforce housing; and a lack of public infrastructure, especially inland.
Since 2017, the County has been an increasingly unaffordable place to live and in 2021 became the most unaffordable county in Maine for homeownership according to MaineHousing. Rents are unaffordable – as they are throughout much of Maine, and have been so in Lincoln County since 2000 (per MaineHousing data).
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LCRPC 5-Year Strategic Plan
LCRPC's Strategic Plan provides a set of specific priorities and actions to benefit Lincoln County communities. Here's a link to the Five-Year Plan. This guiding document was created by a dedicated committee of the LCRPC board (representing a variety of towns) that met every 2 weeks for 8 months.
The Plan will help LCRPC staff create yearly work plans, formulate budgets, assess progress, and be effective in creating positive change for Lincoln County towns, residents, and businesses.
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Bremen Goes Fiber
Bremen will become the first mainland town in the midcoast to become a 100% "Fiber to the Home" Community.
After a highly competitive process, the ConnectME authority awarded three broadband infrastructure grants statewide last week. The Town of Bremen, partnering with Tidewater Telecom, was chosen to receive one of those grants. $120,000 was awarded to support the Bremen fiber optic build-out that will bring high speed broadband to approximately 400 more unserved homes and businesses.
(Read More)New Veteran Resource Info
Check out LCRPC's new Veterans Services page! Information listed includes career and job fair dates/locations, as well as healthcare information from various organizations such as the Maine Bureau of Veteran’s Services and the Maine Department of Veteran’s Affairs. Information about the Maine VFW and where to find your closest American Legion Post are also listed.
Check out the new page HERE!
Locations of Electric Vehicle Charging Stations in Lincoln County and Maine
Electric vehicles (EV) are becoming more common in today's world. CNBC reports that the International Energy Agency predicts that the number of electric vehicles on the road internationally will hit 125 million by 2030 (up from 3.1 million in 2017). Please visit PlugShare's website HERE and the Alternative Fuel Data Center's website HERE to see where EV charging stations are located in Lincoln County and in Maine.
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