THOMASTON, Maine — Thomaston voters rejected two proposals Tuesday that would have brought housing for older adults and adults with disabilities to the town’s green.
A proposal from Portland-based Avesta Housing to build an apartment building for adults older than 55 was defeated by a vote of 223 to 344. A proposal from Camden-based Coastal Opportunities to build a new home for six of its residents with disabilities was shot down by a vote of 258 to 357.
Both of these housing projects were planned on Thomaston Green, which is the site of the former Maine State Prison. In the early 2000s, the town acquired the land from the state and turned it into a large greenspace.
Town officials said the idea was to always develop the green in some way, balancing open space with taxable properties that could bring in additional revenue. However, at an informational meeting last month, some residents wondered if the green was the best place for housing developments, since it’s the first site people see when they drive north into Thomaston.
Avesta was proposing to build a 40- to 48-unit apartment building on about 90,000 square feet of the Thomaston Green. The apartments would have been leased to limited-income tenants over the age of 55 for about $600 to $700 a month, according to Avesta.
The development would have brought in about $55,000 to $60,000 in tax revenue annually.
Coastal Opportunities, which provides services including residential housing to adults with disabilities, is looking to relocate from its home on Main Street in Thomaston. The organization also had proposed to build a new $1.2 million facility on the green.
While the nonprofit development wouldn’t have generated tax revenue, town officials said the group had agreed to pay some amount of money in lieu of taxes.