Bangor planners to review zoning

BANGOR – Faced with nearby residents’ concerns about the growing presence of St. Joseph Hospital, the City Council on Wednesday called for a review of the city’s zoning policy in the east side neighborhood.

In its order, the council directed the planning board to review the city’s comprehensive plan for the area of Center Street, Congress Street and Broadway. After a public hearing, the planning board is expected to return its recommendation for the area to the council by the end of the year, city officials said.

Under the city’s current plan, the area is slated for institutional development such as that proposed by St. Joseph officials.

However, in light of the hospital’s request last month to re-zone nine properties – already owned by the hospital – from residential to institutional, the few remaining neighbors around the growing hospital became concerned about the future of the shrinking residential area and the re-zoning’s effect on property values there.

Separate from the planning board’s review process, the City Council will consider the hospital’s request at its Nov. 26 meeting.

Under the hospital’s plan, most of the re-zoned properties, many of which are apartment buildings and two of which are vacant lots, would be used for administrative uses or parking. The only concrete expansion plan at this point, unrelated to the re-zoning requests, is a three-story addition on the south end of the hospital’s old wing to house a magnetic resonance imaging center.

At its Wednesday meeting, the first under the gavel of newly elected Mayor Michael Crowley, the board also voted to extend City Manager Edward Barrett’s contract to June 30, 2004, and raise his annual pay 2 percent to $96,085.