Matt Haas – BIDDEFORD GAZETTE

By RANDY SEAVER, Editor

The first meeting of Biddeford’s revived Institutional Zone Review (IZR) Committee was held Thursday evening, giving members a chance to introduce themselves and to complete several organizational and administrative tasks, including scheduling their first public hearing.

The committee was launched earlier this year, at the direction of Biddeford Mayor Liam LaFountain who attended Thursday’s meeting as an observer.

Members of the newly formed Institutional Zone Review Committee begin their work during their first meeting Thursday. Left to right: Betsy Martin, Christine Stone, Matt Haas, Dr. James Herbert, Chair Patricia Boston and Code Enforcement Officer Roby Fecteau (Seaver photo)

The mission of the committee is to review planning documents that have been submitted by the University of New England over the last 20 years; to seek public input and make recommendations regarding future growth at the school’s Biddeford campus.

From the public podium, LaFountain spoke only briefly to welcome and thank the committee members for their willingness to “dig deep” into issues that will likely impact the city and the University of New England.

“You have taken on an ambitious timeline,” LaFountain told the committee, reminding them that the city hopes to receive their preliminary recommendations in May for city council review and input.

The final recommendations are expected for a public hearing in July, LaFountain said.

“The council will rely upon your diligence and judgment,” LaFountain told the committee. “What matters most is that you approach this work respectfully and thoughtfully and encourage public input and feedback.”

On that note – following a rather arduous process of coordinating various schedules and available meeting times at City Hall – the new committee tentatively scheduled its first public hearing for Monday, March 2, at 6 p.m.

The committee is scheduled to have at least two more meetings before the first public hearing.

Nearly a quarter-century ago, a previous IZR committee was tasked with similar objectives.

City Councilor Pat Boston, a Hills Beach resident, is serving as chair of the current committee. She recalled serving on the first IZR Committee in 2001.

“I recently came across a note from [former mayor] Donna Dion, thanking us for our service,” Boston laughed.

Thursday’s meeting was sparsely attended by members of the public.

John Shafer – an outspoken critic of the university’s controversial pier proposal – sat in the back of the room, carefully watching the meeting. UNE vice president Alan Thibault also attended the meeting along with City Planner David Galbraith and City Manager Truc Dever.

For more information about the Institutional Zone Review Committee, you may visit the committee’s webpage, which is a section of the city’s larger website.

The link to the committee’s page: https://www.biddefordmaine.org/5839/Institutional-Zone-Review-Committee

In addition to Councilor Boston, other committee members include City Councilor Marc Lessard; Dr. James Herbert, the university’s president; Matt Haas, a former UNE employee and graduate; Christina Stone, a real estate agent and Hills Beach resident; and Associate member Elizabeth Martin of Biddeford.

Lessard did not attend Thursday’s meeting.

Code Enforcement Officer Roby Fecteau will serve as the committee’s staff liaison.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Randy Seaver is the editor and founder of the Biddeford Gazette. He has been covering Biddeford news and politics for nearly three decades. He may be reached by email: randy@randyseaver.com

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The University of New England cleared another hurdle Thursday when the Biddeford Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) voted unanimously to reject an appeal of the university’s proposed research pier.

Although the Biddeford Planning Board narrowly approved the controversial pier in August, a group of private citizens – led by the former chair of the Biddeford Harbor Commission – filed an appeal of the planning board’s approval.

Thursday’s meeting lasted only a few minutes, despite an agenda packet of more than 3,000 pages of information related to the project.

*The Biddeford City Council Chamber was packed for Thursday’s Zoning Board of Appeals meeting regarding the University of New England’s proposed pier. (Seaver photo)*

ZBA members did not discuss specifics about the pier, its location or the city’s review process of the project. The discussion instead centered on whether the citizen appellants had legal standing to appeal the planning board’s prior approval.

Ron Schneider – the university’s senior attorney – told ZBA members that the citizen appellants had “no standing” to file an appeal because they were not injured by the planning board’s earlier approval.

Biddeford resident Matt Haas, a former UNE employee, spoke for the appellants and said the citizens group was made up of an “organic” group of citizens, including property abutters and mooring owners who will be displaced by the large pier.

Schneider rejected that argument, pointing out that only Schafer’s name was listed on the appeal filed in September.

“You cannot just add names as you go along,” Schneider argued before the ZBA, pointing out that Schafer lives more than a mile away from where the large pier will be built. “Otherwise, this just becomes a game of whack-a-mole.”

City Attorney Harry Center told the ZBA that they should send the issue back to the planning board for further review.

“New information has recently come to light,” Center said. “The appellants do have standing.”

Center previously supported the planning board’s decision but now says new information about a 250-foot, non-development buffer zone created nearly 25 years ago should trigger a reconsideration of that decision.

“This just becomes a game
of whack-a-mole.”
— Ron Schneider, UNE’s senior attorney

As originally reported in the Biddeford Gazette, that buffer zone was overlooked and not raised as an issue of concern during the nearly two-year review process.

RELATED: UNE approval tainted by agency error

The Biddeford City Council voted unanimously last week to seek guidance and advice from the Maine Attorney General’s Office about the buffer zone and its impact on the university’s plans.

When asked for comment about Thursday’s ZBA decision, a university spokesperson said the zoning board followed the city charter’s requirements for appeals.

“These rules exist to ensure fairness and clarity in the appeals process,” said Sarah Delage, vice president of communications.

“UNE looks forward to moving ahead with this important research facility that will benefit Maine’s marine environment, economy and students for generations to come,” she added. “We remain committed to being good neighbors and responsible community partners.”

When asked about next steps for the citizen’s coalition, Haas said the group has to rely on the city council for relief.

“The city seems to understand the significance of the buffer zone, and it is heartening to see them pursue that issue with the attorney general’s office,” he said.

“This is not the end of the story,” Haas said.

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

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