Mayor breaks several tied votes

Although the Biddeford City Council recently approved the creation of more than 150 housing units, several people who watched the June 17 Biddeford City Council meeting said they were “stunned” by the raw emotion and frustration on display by councilors and others who attended the meeting.

The rather tense, marathon meeting lasted more than six hours, ending shortly after midnight on June 18.

The meeting included discussion of a planned affordable housing development near the Pearl Street parking garage; a mixed-use development of three phases planned for the other side of the garage; and a joint development agreement for the ongoing redevelopment of the Marble Block building on Main Street, where a street-level bowling alley is scheduled to open later this summer.

Absence of disclosure

Mayor Marty Grohman — who appeared quite frustrated at several points in the meeting — was able to cast the deciding vote on a number of key issues that favored the developers, including an investment group known as 3 Lincoln LLC, which is planning a large-scale, mixed-use development near the site of the former Maine Energy trash-to-energy incinerator on Pearl Street.

Councilor Roger Beaupre was out of town with an excused absence. During rigorous and often emotional discussion, the remaining eight city councilors found themselves evenly split (4-4) on several key votes regarding development projects.

Council rules allow the mayor to vote only to break a tie.

Mayor Grohman received campaign
donations from the same developers
who appeared before the council
for approval of their projects,
according to campaign finance reports

During his votes, Grohman did not provide any disclosure or a brief statement regarding contributions made to his 2023 mayoral campaign by many of the very same developers who appeared that evening before the council.

According to campaign finance reports, Jim Brady one of the developers tied to the 3 Lincoln, LLC project, donated $100 to Grohman’s first bid to become mayor.

Although Grohman received several other donations—many of which were of greater amounts, the second round of required campaign finance reports showed that he also received contributions from others directly tied to the 3 Lincoln, LLC project, including Brian Eng of Portland ($191.70) and Marieke Thormann ($100.)

“It’s a reported donation, and it didn’t influence my vote one way or the other,” Grohman told the Gazette during a follow-up interview. “It has absolutely no relation to anything.”

In fact, Grohman said he was proud of the meeting’s outcomes, saying he is “excited” about the prospect of new development near the city’s core.

“The city doesn’t build anything, we simply till the soil,” the mayor said. “I do support all the efforts to make the pathway clearer and more consistent for future projects.”

Grohman pointed to the condominiums being proposed by 3 Lincoln, LLC as a coup for the city of Biddeford. The starting price for those condominiums with a river view will be $280,000, according to the developers.

“We pulled off a hell of a project,” Grohman said. “Where in southern Maine can you buy a brand-new home with a river view for $280,000?”

“The city doesn’t build anything,
we simply till the soil.”

— Mayor Marty Grohman

Grohman told the Gazette that it’s critical for the city to address the need for workforce housing to meet the region’s employment needs, including teachers, nurses and police officers.

Concerns raised, frustrations vented

Several councilors – including those who voted in support of the developers’ positions – also complained about a council process that is often chaotic, pressure-driven and last minute.

“I don’t want to ever have
a meeting like this again,”

–– Councilor Dylan Doughty

Councilor Dylan Doughty – a former Planning Board member – expressed frustration about an ongoing pattern of last-minute maneuvering presented to the council as crucial, time-sensitive matters that need immediate approval.

“We don’t really have a strategy to develop affordable housing,” Doughty said. “What we’re doing is piecemeal, and we are effectively knee-capping other potential developers.”

Doughty ultimately supported many of the proposals that came before the council during the meeting, but said his patience was at an end.

“I don’t want to ever have a meeting like this again,” Doughty said from the council dais. “Many times, we are getting information only hours before the meeting. I find this approach and the delay of information to be demeaning, patronizing and incredibly insulting.”

At-large councilor Doris Ortiz, however, said she empathized with developers such as Westbrook Development Corp., a non-profit organization that wants to build as many as 80 units of affordable housing for those over the age of 55.

“This makes me ridiculously uncomfortable,
This is not a good look for the city.”

— City Council President Liam LaFountain

She also praised Fathom Development, the company behind the 3 Lincoln, LLC project.

“They (Fathom) have been very gracious and accommodating,” Ortiz said, pointing to the fact that Fathom was willing to make changes to the plan and working closely, in-tandem, with Westbrook Development on the construction of affordable housing units.

“We have an incredible opportunity tonight,” Ortiz said. “And they (Fathom) are taking all the hits.”

Council President Liam LaFountain offered a sometimes scathing and emotional critique of several items that came before the council, most notably the plans for a mixed-use commercial development that would also include market-rate condominiums that would sell for an average of $450,000.

Taxpayers are still paying off a $6.5 million
bond that was used to purchase the
former MERC site.
The city will continue making $350,000
annual payments for the property,
despite selling the parcel to developers
for one dollar.

Taxpayers are still paying off a $6.5 million bond that was used to purchase the former MERC site. The city will continue making $350,000 annual payments for the property, despite selling the parcel to developers for one dollar.

“I have always supported every credit-enhancement agreement for affordable housing because it is a good goal,” LaFountain said. “But we can’t be expected to do deals when they just don’t make sense.”

LaFountain pointed out that the city spent $6.5 million for the former MERC site in 2012. Today, city taxpayers are shelling out roughly $330,000 in annual debt service for that property, a payment arrangement that is scheduled to continue until 2033.

The city has now offered to sell that parcel of land to Westbrook Development for $1. LaFountain raised concerns about what could happen if the developers chose to walk away from the project. “Once we give up the land, it’s gone,” he said.

RELATED: Council pauses on major development project

Later in the meeting, while seeking some detailed information from City Planner David Galbraith about a different proposal, LaFountain expressed shock and disbelief that Galbraith turned to the developers for the information.

“This makes me ridiculously uncomfortable,” LaFountain said. “This is not a good look for the city.”

Local real estate developer Mike Eon gave the council a visual reminder of why they need to be careful and deliberate in their review of complex projects.

Eon held up a large photo of the former MERC waste incinerator that occupied the lower end of Lincoln and Pearl streets for nearly three decades.

“This is the kind of stuff that happens when things get rushed through,” Eon said. “All kinds of promises were made. This time, let’s make sure we really do our homework.”

——

Randy Seaver is the editor and founder of the Biddeford Gazette. He may be contacted by email: randy@randyseaver.com

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