Maine Town Plans to Give Away Land to Home Developers

As much of the country continues to deal with a shortage of available housing, one Maine town may give away some land so that new houses can be built.

According to an article in the Bangor Daily News, Saint George, which is located in Knox County, has owned 78 acres since 2002.

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In just a few weeks, the residents of the town will have the opportunity to vote to transfer five acres to create the Kinney Woods Project.  Seven new homes would then be built on that land.  The project would be overseen by the Saint George Community Development Corporation.

If voters approve the plan, the town will give away the land instead of selling it, in order to keep the cost of the project down.  Additionally, once the homes have been constructed, the land will bring in nearly $14,000 per year in taxes.

The plan would be to keep the homes as affordable as possible, and people living in the region would get the first chance to purchase the homes.

The vote will take place on May 13.

According to the 2020 census, St. George has a population of just under 2,600 people.  The town started off as a farming community, but quickly shifted to quarrying after granite was discovered.  Later, canneries for fish and lobster opened.

These days, the town is known for fishing and lobstering.

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