YMCA parking issue on agenda

BANGOR – Though the zone-change request fell flat when it was presented to the city’s planning board this week, representatives of the Bangor YMCA will get another shot during Monday’s City Council meeting, set for 7:30 p.m. at City Hall.

At issue is the group’s request to rezone two Court Street parcels to be used to ease the ongoing parking crunch at its Hammond Street facility. Once rezoned from urban residential to government and institutional service district, the Y would tear down a dilapidated apartment house and use the land to create a parking lot for staff members.

In order to obtain the zone change, supporters will have to convince at least six of Bangor’s nine city councilors to go along with the request.

That’s because the matter is coming before the council without an ought-to-pass recommendation from the planning board, City Solicitor Norman Heitmann said Friday. Given that, passage requires a two-thirds majority of all the councilors, not just those present.

The YMCA had applied for a cheaper straight zone change, but planning officials, including city staff, wanted the nonprofit group instead to seek a contract zone change as a way to protect nearby residential areas and to make sure the land reverts to its original residential zoning designation should the property someday change hands.

With a contract zone change, planning board members agreed, the city would be able to attach specific development requirements to the project, such as vegetative buffers between the lot and neighboring residential properties.

Another problem for planning board members was that the proposed change was inconsistent with the city’s comprehensive plan, which considers the land at 54 and 58 Court St. as most appropriate for residential use.

Rob Reeves, chief executive officer for the YMCA and YWCA, said during a planning board meeting Tuesday night that he had discussed rezoning options for the Court Street land with city planning staff before he and board members opted to apply for a regular rezoning because the fee was about half that of the $1,500 cost for a contract zone change application.