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Nov 06, 2024

Developers pull zoning application for controversial South Portland project

SOUTH PORTLAND (WGME) -- A controversial plan to build hundreds of new homes in South Portland appears to be dead. Monday morning, developers behind "Yard South" withdrew their zoning application.

SOUTH PORTLAND (WGME) -- A controversial plan to build hundreds of new homes in South Portland appears to be dead.

Monday morning, developers behind "Yard South" withdrew their zoning application.

Their plan was to have commercial space they own near Bug Light be re-zone for mixed use in order to build 1,000 housing units, with 100 of them affordable, as well as a park and other commercial and retail space.

The developers say the city encouraged them to put housing on the land but say outdated regulations won't make their current plan work.

"The zoning is very kind of out of date, it's kind of 1975-era zoning, and it's kind of trying to fix your Tesla with grampy's 1945 wrench set, you can't really fix it using antiquated tools," PK Realty Management LLC. President Jennifer Packard said.

Opponents say it will only exacerbate South Portland's population influx that started with the pandemic.

Referencing the hundreds of market-rate units, a former mayor who opposed the project said it would, “be a gateway to a thousand wealthy people.”