City may delay waterfront projects

BANGOR – Members of a City Council subcommittee decided Tuesday to proceed with work toward a proposed moratorium on waterfront development.

If approved, the moratorium would last 90 days, with the clock starting Tuesday, when members of the council’s transportation and infrastructure committee agreed to put the proposal up for first reading on the agenda of the next meeting of the full council, set for 7:30 p.m. Monday at City Hall.

At that time, the matter will be referred back to the transportation and infrastructure committee, which will take a closer look at the matter, consider the implications and issue a recommendation.

A second reading, and possible adoption, would take place during the first regular council meeting in August.

The moratorium would affect both city property and privately owned property between Lincoln Street and the Joshua Chamberlain Bridge and from Main Street to the Penobscot River, according to City Solicitor Norman Heitmann.

The moratorium, suggested by Councilor Richard Stone, is aimed at giving the city some time to step back, take a breath and decide how much more, if any, construction should on the waterfront.

In order to impose such a delay on construction, the city would have to first find:

. The moratorium was needed to prevent a shortage or overburdening of public facilities.

. The city’s existing land use rules are inadequate in terms of being able to prevent “serious public harm” to the natural or human environment.

The so-called public harm would have to be identified.