GPBR Legislative Updates 
  January Local Policy Tracking Report

As we settle into the new year, communities are grappling with fast-moving housing and growth issues early in 2026. Scarborough, in particular, is seeing strong grassroots pushback to rapid development and will be reevaluating the need for a short-term rental ordinance in the coming months.


In Gorham, the Town Council is preparing to take up potential changes to the community’s sprinkler ordinance, with discussions expected to begin in February.

At the same time, moratoriums on mobile home park rent increases are spreading quickly across municipalities and remain at the forefront of the statewide housing policy conversation.

Accessory dwelling units (ADUs) have also been in the spotlight, with new funding options, updated state guidance, and a statewide ADU summit scheduled for May, more information on that here.

LD 1829 remains a major point of contention, with Scarborough and Windham formally pushing back on the new law and raising concerns about its impact on local growth management

GPBR recently secured an additional Consumer Advocacy Outreach Grant from the National Association of REALTORS® to expand outreach related to the Portland property tax and rent control study. If you missed the report, it is available here.

Cape Elizabeth 

• Short Term Rental Registration open - more info here
• Cape Newsletter here
• Cape Town Council Report Here
• Cape Town Manager’s Report Here
• Town Council Meetings agendas here.
• Meeting calendar here.

 Cumberland

• Latest Cumberland Crier here.
• Town Council agendas. 

Falmouth 

• Coffee with Councillors, Thursday, January 22, 8-9am (Councilors Hach & Diaz)
• Wednesday, February 11, 12-1pm (Councilors Tracy & Sharp)
• Friday, March 13, 8-9am (Councilors Morton & Mahoney)
• Thursday, April 9, 12-1pm (Councilors Morton & Diaz)
• Wednesday, May 6, 6-7pm (Councilors Hach & Sharp)
• Portland, South Portland, Westbrook & Falmouth Caucus
• The 2026 Republican joint caucus of Portland, South Portland, Westbrook and Falmouth will be held on January 24, 2026, from 11:00 am until 2:00 PM at the Portland Maine Elks Lodge, 1945 Congress St., in Portland.
• Latest Falmouth Newsletter here 
• Calendar and agendas here

Freeport

• Freeport Housing Trust, Ground on Varney Heights, a 42-Unit Senior Housing Community in Freeport, Maine, covered by Fox News here 
• Coffee with Councillors - Come discuss ideas and concerns with Town Council leadership the first Monday of every month at 8 a.m.
• Visit the Town Council page
• New Comprehensive Plan adopted by the Council here
• Calendar and agendas here 

Gorham 

• Friendly Village Residents Notified of High PFAS Levels, covered here by the Gorham Times
• Sprinkler ordinance in front of the Council in the coming weeks
• Plans for Amazon facility in Gorham draws mixed reactions from residents, covered here by WGME
• Town Council agenda

Gray

• Gray code enforcement officer wins statewide award, covered here by the PPH
• Gray discusses preparing growth ordinances for new housing law, covered here by the PPH 
• Proposed 400 Lot Subdivision on North Raymond Road
• Village Transformation Project - More info here
• Council meeting schedule here

New Gloucester 

• Council meeting schedule here

North Yarmouth 

• Comprehensive Plan Proposed changes to Land Use here.
• Meeting and agenda here.

Portland 

• Construction moving ahead at Roux Institute’s evolving Portland campus, covered here by Maine Biz
• Portland’s short-term rental restrictions are backfiring | Opinion, covered here by the PPH
• Portland metro sustains 50% home price premium over the rest of Maine, covered here by the Housing Wire
• Rebuild Franklin Street Now Facebook page here
• Portland City Council OKs entertainment venue fee born out of Live Nation debate, covered here by the PPH
• City Receives $2.1 Million Grant to Support Brighton Ave Safety Projects
• Brighton Avenue Safety and Demonstration Project. 
• Public Comment Open - Updated Historic Resources Design Manual Draft  Historic Resources Design Manual, a guide for historic preservation projects and reviews. Before the manual is finalized, take a look and let us know what you think. 
• City's Economic Development Team Offers Q&A Office Hours
•  Economic Development staff every Wednesday, from 10:00- 11:00 
• Vacant Storefront Art Initiative - City Council recently passed an order that will soon require vacant commercial storefronts in the Pedestrian Activities District (PAD) that have been empty for six months or more to register their vacant property within 30 days of their property becoming vacant. The City is also currently accepting submissions for art (proposals due by 2/1/26)
• Meeting schedule here

Pownal 

• Pownal Annual Town Report here
• Meeting calendar here

Scarborough 

• Workshop w/ Speaker Fecteau and State Reps on LD 1829
• Scarborough officials call for repeal of new housing law, covered here by the PPH
• The Scarborough Town Council passed a resolution to express concerns with LD 1829, legislation that significantly impacts a municipality's ability to regulate and manage growth
• Read the Resolution here 
• Survey: Scarborough residents ‘satisfied,’ but worried about growth, covered here by the PPH  
• 16% of Scarborough residents said they were satisfied with how the town is managing residential growth, compared to 74% who said the town is growing “too fast” or “much too fast.”
• The Ordinance committee spent several months of 2025 reviewing the potential creation of a Short Term Rental (STR) ordinance. Scarborough is one of few municipalities in the area that does not currently have one. In October 2025, the council voted against a new ordinance that would require the annual registration of STRs as a means of monitoring neighborhood impacts. STRs continue to be an issue of concern heard from residents, so the council has set a goal of adopting an ordinance in 2026. 
• The Council created a new Tree Care Advisory Board
• Scarborough Newsletter here 
• Town Council agendas. 
• Planning Board agendas

South Portland 

• Share your input on the new Comprehensive Plan! Review the final draft and share your feedback until February 15, 2026. 
• Existing Comp Plan here 
• Wed., Feb. 11, 2026 (6-9pm) CPC meeting to review feedback, incorporate changes, and finalize plan for Council's review.
• Wed., Feb. 18, 2026 (6-9pm) CPC meeting to review feedback, incorporate changes, and finalize plan for Council's review.
• South Portland Newsletter here 
• South Portland City Council and Planning Board agenda

 Westbrook

• Westbrook Administrator Jerre Bryant steps into interim Economic Developer role 
• Meeting and events calendar.

 Windham

• New Assistant Town Manager, Amanda Lessard 
• Meeting calendar here.
  

Yarmouth

• Yarmouth gets $1 million grant for Royal River dam removal, covered here by the PPH
• Royal River Dam Update here
• Building Moratorium Updates and FAQS here
• Meeting calendar here
  

Other Local

• Lewiston Special Election District 94
• Candidates below
• Janet Beaudoin info here
• Scott Harriman info here
• Auburn
• Passed mobile home park moratorium last night
• Biddeford
• Council imposes 180 moratorium on UNE expansion 
• Rejects mobile home rent moratorium
• Popham
• High court rules on Popham Beach access dispute between neighbors, covered here by the PPH
• Saco
• Former Saco mayor wins City Council special election by 3 votes, covered here by the PPH 
  

Other State/National

• Trump signs executive order barring Wall Street investors from buying single-family homes, covered here by The Hill
• Building an Accessory Dwelling Unit is easier than ever in Maine, covered here by the PPH 
• Maine ADU Guide here
• ADU summit scheduled for May, more information on that here.
• Maine housing costs reaches record high, covered here by News Center Maine
• Pilot program offers some midcoast homeowners up to $10,000 to add accessory dwelling units, covered here by News Center Maine 
• Maine­Housing says housing prices still out of reach for many, covered here by Spectrum
• Maine lawmakers consider public funding for electric infrastructure, covered here by Maine Public
• Maine sets up housing database amid need for 84,000 homes by 2030, covered here by Maine Biz
• Could Maine’s housing market finally be cooling? Here’s what the data says, covered here by the Sun Journal
• Report: Affordability biggest hurdle in every corner of Maine’s housing market, covered here by the PPH
• New bill could make solar power more accessible to Maine renters, covered here by the Maine Morning Star
• State report offers potential solutions to skyrocketing rents at Maine's mobile home parks, covered here by WGME
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Maine donates land for housing, covered here by Maine Biz