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The Hallowell City Council and residents are now in a position to advise and influence the future sale of the Stevens School Complex in Hallowell, Maine. The Stevens/Reed Center Blog allows participants to weigh in on how Hallowell's Comprehensive Plan will provide the city and its residents with input and perhaps influence future uses of the property.
Blog Archive
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2009
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February
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- Map View of the Steven School Campus
- HEADLINES: Possible Outcomes
- First Things First
- Your Vote
- City of Hallowell Revised Code of Ordinances 1997
- Hallowell Map - Map of Hallowell, ME
- Introduction
- Other Questions or Concerns
- Who benefits!
- Stevens School and the Creative Economy
- Business Development at Stevens School Complex
- Stevens School and Hallowell's Comprehensive Plan
- Stevens School and Open Space
- Stevens School and Affordable Housing
- Administrative Office at the Reed Center for RSU # 2
- How will development impact existing neighborhoods?
- Tax Consequences and Environmental Issues
- Negotiating Conditions with State of Maine
- Suggested Uses for the Stevens School Complex
- Purchasing the Stevens School Complex
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February
(20)
Stevens School -- Smaller Upper Field
On the Stevens School property there are two fields that are located on the upper campus. The fields are somewhat isolated and positioned on top of the hill on the left side of the property as you view the Stevens campus from Winthrop Street. There is a chained access road behind the building that houses the Maine Human Rights Commission. The larger field has been hayed over the years and there is no tree growth. The smaller field has not been maintained. As you view the slideshow, you will see the trees that are beginning to fill in the smaller field. The third field on the Stevens Campus is located behind the Reed Center. This field can also be viewed from Pleasant Street.
Stevens School: Suggested Uses
This slideshow presents ideas for potential uses of the Stevens School and Reed Center properties. Explanation of each use can be found upon the POST: HEADLINES: Possible Outcomes.
Map 6 Lot 27
Reed Center Property on a Sunny Day!
Stevens School Buildings
Winter Views
Stevens School Land
The Upper Field
Welcome to the Stevens School/Reed Center Blog
Greetings from Pleasant Street!
Recent postings to The Stevens School Blog present information from the Stevens School Re-Use Analysis Report. The postings provide you with environmental issues, the three re-use options considered by the Committee, and the Committee's final recommendations. A key phrase used in this report identifies the standard for re-use as being "the highest and best use." This statement leads me to a firm belief that as Hallowell residents we must step up and become the Stevens School stewards. Through our stewardship, we can transform the Stevens School property to its highest and best use. I am convinced that we can do this. However, as residents, we need to step up and become visible and vocal to ensure that the Stevens School property will become a destination for Hallowell residents and others -- a destination that benefits our community and ensures positive results for our residents.
The purpose of the blog is to encourage open discussion and to reduce any misconceptions regarding the development of this property.
You are encouraged to vote and to share your concerns.
Stephen D. Thompson
Recent postings to The Stevens School Blog present information from the Stevens School Re-Use Analysis Report. The postings provide you with environmental issues, the three re-use options considered by the Committee, and the Committee's final recommendations. A key phrase used in this report identifies the standard for re-use as being "the highest and best use." This statement leads me to a firm belief that as Hallowell residents we must step up and become the Stevens School stewards. Through our stewardship, we can transform the Stevens School property to its highest and best use. I am convinced that we can do this. However, as residents, we need to step up and become visible and vocal to ensure that the Stevens School property will become a destination for Hallowell residents and others -- a destination that benefits our community and ensures positive results for our residents.
The purpose of the blog is to encourage open discussion and to reduce any misconceptions regarding the development of this property.
You are encouraged to vote and to share your concerns.
Stephen D. Thompson
Hallowell Ward I 1880 Map
Stevens School location 1880
Stevens School Aerial View 1996
Labels
- Aerial Map of Hallowell
- Affordable Housing
- Buffer Zone
- Business Development
- Comprehensive Plan
- Consequences and Issues
- Create Your Headline
- Creative and Responsible Use of the Stevens School
- Developing Specifics for the Stevens School Property
- Environmental and Open Space
- Executive Summary Environmental Issues
- Hearing on LD 1098
- Historic Buildings
- Impact on abutting land owners and neighborhoods
- Introduction
- Legislative Hearing Stevens School
- Map View of Stevens School Campus
- Municipal and other Uses
- Open Space
- Open Space Behind the Reed Center
- Ordinances
- Other Questions or Concerns
- Preparing for Transition
- Public Costs and Revenue
- purchasing
- Reed Center as Administrative Center for RSU 2
- Reed Center to MSAD # 16
- Related Blogs
- Residential Development and Housing Density
- Setting Conditions
- Stevens School Committee Meeting
- Stevens School and Business Use
- Stevens School Committee Revitalized by Mayor Warren
- Stevens School Final Recommendations
- Stevens School Partnerships: State of Maine - City of Hallowell -- RSU # 2 - Developers
- Suggested Uses
- Text from Comprehensive Plan DRAFT
- Text of LD 905 Final Copy
- The Fifteen Goals for the Stevens School Property identified by the Comprehensive Plan
- Three Options Considered
- Traffic Density and Streets Sidewalks
- Who Benefits
- Your Vote.
Would you consider selling the entire Stevens School property to a developer without restrictions (except for re-use guidelines) "the highest and best use" of the property?
Should the City of Hallowell Purchase the Stevens School Property?
Should the Hallowell City Council sponsor blogs that pertain to committee work and issues facing the City of Hallowell?
Posts
Stevens School BLOG Participants
About Me
- Stephen Thompson
- In 1988 I was diagnosed with 4th stage lymphoma. After a major operation that took four hours, I recovered and then started my first chemotherapy treatment. While I was receiving my chemo, Nona, my wife, overheard three women talking about their attendance at a local HOPE Group in Portland. She spoke with the three women and as a result we started to attend H.O.P.E. Groups guided by Kenneth H. Hamilton, MD. The HOPE Groups and Ken's guided imageries played a major role in my healing and how I viewed life. We were friends with Ken until he passed away in 2022. A week before his death he challenged me to move his work further into the 21st century. I accepted the challenge!
There are several residents who are promoting affordable housing. Within the comprehensive plan there appears to be affordable housing appears tied to low-income housing.
ReplyDeleteWhat is affordable housing? How does it work? What is the intention of affordable housing?
If affordable housing moves to becoming low-income housing, what does that imply? What would be the impact?
Following are the recommendations from the housing report developed for the City of Hallowell:
ReplyDeleteHousing Considerations
The Hallowell Affordable Housing Committee recommended in December of 2007 that the City of Hallowell consider the following types of actions:
1. Establish a permanent standing committee on affordable housing composed of experts in the field and several city officials and make funds available to this committee to allow it to hire consultants and/or, conduct feasibility studies. The group would keep abreast of all state, national and local subsidies available and encourage input from the public.
2. Keep the issue of the Stevens complex alive by urging that its officers, accompanied by the standing committee on affordable housing, meet with the state, including area legislators, to explore available options regarding the Stevens complex.
3. Float a bond to set up a revolving fund that would allow a buyer to purchase a property at a reduced rate of interest. The property owner would pay back into the fund and replenish it.
4. Create a policy on affordable housing and spell it out in the city ordinances. Include in the ordinances specific remedies that can alleviate Hallowell’s affordable-housing crisis so that residents will be assured no legal obstacles will bar these remedies.
5. Offer tax abatements to developers and homeowners who create low-cost dwelling units. Make appropriate use of the TIF process in creating affordable housing.
6. Ease requirements on parking adjacent to buildings housing two or more units.
7. Permit the addition of all additional dwelling units made to a home as long as these ADUs conform to the characteristics of the home and neighborhood.
8. If used to provide affordable housing, permit the addition of apartments above garages, either in existing space or to be built by a homeowner or landlord.
9. Allow higher density in appropriate locations on the west side of Water Street and extending uphill from Water Street.
10. Consider allowing parking garages that adhere to the style of adjacent buildings and the neighborhood.
11. Encourage the creation of new rooming houses or apartment suites suitable especially for young people or the elderly who might enjoy more social contact.
12. Establish density bonuses for subdivision developers who provide affordable housing.
13. Consider the employment of a grant-writer, either via one of our civic-minded volunteers or salaried, to explore what funds are currently available for enhancing the quality of life in Hallowell, including the addition of affordable places to live.