BATH

The Plant Home will expand after a contract rezoning plan received unanimous City Council approval Wednesday.

After five years of negotiations, renegotiations and restructuring, a new threestory building and two triplex structures will be built at the site of the historic senior housing center on Washington Street. The contract rezoning was necessary because the proposed building was taller than the allowable height for a structure in the neighborhood, in addition to a few other minor zoning variances that were needed.

In exchange for approving the variances, the city will receive a 1.3 acre parcel of open space, access to a walking trail and a covered bus stop on Washington Street.

The Plant Home’s current proposal is smaller than the original plan, which called for a new 19,000-square-foot residential building. The new plan is for a 16,000-square-foot facility with 45 units — not 48, as originally envisioned. The project was originally tabbed at $9.2 million 

The building also has been turned 90 degrees from facing Washington Street to protect neighbors’ water views.

The vote was unanimous for the rezoning. Don Capaldo of the Plant Home said he had received a telephone call from an aide to U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-1st District, indicating Pingree would come up to visit the Plant Home at 10 a.m. Nov. 18.

Also Wednesday, Winnegance General Store got its first hearing for a residential zone variance requested by Jennifer Greene.

Greene, who purchased a building preservationists have called “endangered,” spoke of her desire to restore the 1902 building and return it to its original use as a general store and community gathering place.

“I have had 100 percent support for this project,” she told councilors Wednesday.

The council voted in favor of an ordinance that would allow the Winnegance to open as a community store, also unanimously.

A contract rezoning plan for Bath Iron Works faced greater questions.

BIW wants to build a new Ultra Hall II building that would not conform to city height restrictions. In exchange, BIW has offered about $100,000 worth of streetscape work in front of the parking lot on Washington Street near Leeman Highway, and an additional $65,000 in improvements to South End Park, which residents use as an off-leash dog park. The improvements would include paving of the perimeter walkway and possibly a small picnic pavilion.

Councilors didn’t appear satisfied with that exchange Wednesday.

“The amount of money for improvements at the park is a bit small,” Ward 6 Councilor David Sinclair said. “I will propose an amendment to increase the amount.”

Councilor Meadow Merrill was unhappy with the proposed improvements at South End Park.

“We could have had a nice playground, like Wiscasset’s,” she said. “That playground is a destination for parents in the area, and people stay to shop and go to restaurants in that town.”

Ultimately, the council agreed to ask for an additional $35,000 for South End Park improvements, and returned the request to BIW.

Later in the evening, the city’s tax increment financing attorney, Shena Cook Mueller, explained how TIFs work and how they can be an attractive financing option for municipalities. Then, the first public hearing on the BIW TIF was held.

The proposed TIF would return about $6 million to BIW.

Many of the speakers were BIW employees or former employees, and pointed out that their jobs and future jobs at the shipyard depend on BIW remaining competitive.

Jim Strickland of Park Street said BIW had to deal with the reality of the federal procurement system as it exists today.

“We have to decide whether we want to continue shipbuilding at Bath,” he said. “I work at the shipyard, I pay taxes here and I want to continue working and paying taxes in Bath, and that means BIW would have to stay here.”

His comments were echoed by many at the hearing.

On the other side, Jerry Provencher said, “BIW is a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics. BIW has a 10-year backlog of work. It wouldn’t make any sense for General Dynamics to pull the plug on this very lucrative business.”

His views were also widely echoed.

A second public hearing on BIW’s TIF proposal will be held at the next City Council meeting on Nov. 20.