Civil Municipal - Feb 2024

is a key focus. Various projects, ranging from condos along the river, and larger housing complexes, all the way to in-law apartments, aim to address the city’s diverse housing needs.To foster affordable solutions, Saco was proactive in the adoption of the State’s LD 2003 housing bill. “That bill removed the regulatory barriers to increase housing production in Maine,” Desjardins reports.“By adopting that ordinance and putting it into place, we’ve opened the door for developers to consider the bonus density that they get with LD 2003, which allows for them to build more affordable housing units.” Saco’s commitment to housing development extends to collaborations with state-level programs, grants, and partnerships with organizations like the local housing authority and Habitat for Humanity. “Saco is trying to be on the cutting edge as far as housing because it is a problem, not just in Maine, but it is everywhere,” Desjardins recognizes. “However, Saco is evaluating different options to ensure sufficient housing stock is available.” REVITALIZING THE HEART OF THE CITY In recent years, Saco has undertaken initiatives to revitalize its historic downtown. A comprehensive plan, adopted in 2022 and extending to 2034, charts the city’s course toward a more dynamic urban center.“One of the things we’re working on now is to make the area more viable, really bringing the whole downtown feel with the livability, the walkability, restaurants, shops and people living on the upper floors,” Desjardins maintains. In partnership with the Saco Main Street Program, an effort is also underway to create a concise inventory of the downtown, making it easy to identify the details of available space. “We get calls all the time asking what we have for available space,” explains Desjardins. “ To focus on streamlining processes for businesses, we want to do an inventory of available space and workwith the business owners to find complementary businesses to fill any vacancies.” Saco also offers several grant programs to support and incentivize small businesses.“We want to push that out there and 111 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 5, ISSUE 02 SACO, MAINE