Kennebunk could see improvements to its Main Street in the future, but Economic Vitality Director Stephen Houdlette said the proposal is not a “redesign” of the downtown.

“The plan builds on a past street improvement project and looks to revisit some elements that didn’t make it across the finish line,” Houdlette said.

At a Kennebunk Select Board meeting on Sept. 23, Houdlette presented preliminary plans and introduced Rasor Landscape Architecture as a partner on the project.

Based in Yarmouth, Rasor has done work in Kennebunk before, Houdlette said, especially in the downtown area.

“They have a lot of understanding of how traditional areas like our downtown operate, and how to make it work better for businesses,” he said. “They also know how to get the most out of natural spaces. We have a number of those downtown.”

In the past few weeks, the town’s Economic Vitality Department has been working with businesses and landowners downtown to make sure the preliminary designs meet the needs of the community.

So far, Houdlette said, they do.

“We’re making sure that what we’re proposing is already tied to the downtown,” he said.

As the project progresses, the department plans to work with Rasor to find fiscally responsible solutions to problems in the downtown, including applying for regional and state resources and looking at short-term solutions like wayfinding signage.

“Sometimes, with the right tweak, you can help people, especially people who are new to the downtown, find their way and get the most out of their visit,” Houdlette said.

The downtown revitalization project joins another project aimed at bettering the Main Street area.

In late August, voters approved a land-use agreement that will allow for a new cell tower to be constructed on town-owned land on Factory Pasture Lane.

“There’s a lot of public support for the project,” Houdlette said. “There’s a lot that it does for the town, and we think it will help businesses, help residents, and help Public Safety.”

Kennebunk Fire Chief Justin Cooper said the added cell tower will improve communications and response times for emergency services in the town.

“Not voting this through puts that in jeopardy, and therefore puts you in jeopardy,” Cooper said in August.

Additional cell coverage would be especially necessary if Kennebunk’s downtown continues to grow like Houdlette thinks it will.

Recent and upcoming legislation could lead to more dense housing in areas like downtown Kennebunk, Houdlette said.

One new law that went into effect on Sept. 25 paves the way for more affordable housing in Maine by lifting some restrictions such as height limits.

Sponsored by Speaker of the House Ryan Fecteau, of Biddeford, the bill also allows more types of housing, including accessory dwelling units, on more housing lots.

While it’s unclear what aspects of new housing laws will impact Kennebunk, Houdlette said the downtown revitalization plan aims to look at the downtown through the lens of state legislation that could lead to more dense housing.

“We’re trying to find a way to make downtown available for more people,” Houdlette said.

Preliminary designs for the downtown revitalization project are currently “going through the paces,” Houdlette said, with plans to show a full presentation and draft final designs slated for the Oct. 28 Select Board meeting.