In a close vote, Portland (Maine) residents voted not to allow immediate abutters to reject zoning changes approved by the City Council. The referendum was initiated by neighbors opposed to a cluster subdivision proposed instea dof a conventional one
Portland voters narrowly rejected a proposal that would have allowed residents to block rezoning in their neighborhoods.
The final tally on Question 2 came down to a difference of fewer than 1,200 ballots. Residents voted 53 percent to 47 percent, or 10,887 to 9,747, against the proposal.
The referendum comes as Maine’s largest city experiences a boom of development, including market-rate housing, hotels and office buildings. The question was a citizens’ initiative from neighbors who opposed a large housing project on the outskirts of the city. If approved, the change could have affected that planned subdivision and other projects, such as a cold storage warehouse planned for the city’s waterfront.
The Stroudwater neighborhood, where the ballot question was born, ultimately rejected it. Neighborhoods on the peninsula were more favorable, however.
FULL STORY: Close vote kills plan to allow Portland residents to block zoning changes
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