GPBR Legislative Updates 

June 2025 Local Policy Tracking   

Election Recap: Cape Elizabeth voters approved town center amendments, and several municipalities welcomed new town council members. Notably, Gray and New Gloucester were the only towns in Greater Portland where school budgets failed to pass.

Community Updates: Portland’s Housing and Economic Development Committee unanimously passes a commercial vacancy tax, this will still need a vote by the Council to take effect. In Gorham plans are moving forward for a new shade pavilion at the Lavoie Bike Park, supported by a grant from GPBR and generous donations by local REALTORS!

Seeking Feedback: Portland is seeking public input on the Reimagining Franklin Street project. Cumberland is also requesting feedback on its Comprehensive Plan, find links and details below to take part in the conversations. 

Development News: Windham continues to advance a major sewer expansion alongside several significant housing developments.

Town-by-town updates, election results and helpful links below!

Have housing news you’d like to share? We’d love to hear about it! 

Please reach out:  Advocacy@greaterportlandrealtors.com

Cape Elizabeth

• Voters also approved zoning amendments in the town center
• Summary of Amendments here
• Increasing density
• Allowing residential use on the first floor
• Increasing building height 
• Expanding the uses allowed in a building connector
• Decreasing roof pitch
• Change opening space dimensions on the first floor

Cumberland

• Cumberland Election Results here
• Edes & Vail take 2 council seats 
• Current Construction Project info here.
• Housing Task Force Committee here
• Cumberland Election Information here 
• Town Council agendas. 
• Planning Board agendas
• Comprehensive Plan Survey - seeking feedback, survey closes July 3rd Take the survey

Falmouth 

• Falmouth Election Results Here
• Falmouth appoints Bryce Hach to lead town council, covered here by the PPH 
• Falmouth elects 3 town councilors, approves school budget, covered here by the PPH 
• Falmouth Focus, Volume 7, Issue 12 here 
• Falmouth Vision and Values Final Report here 
• Housing Affordability in Falmouth here
• Current Bids and RFPs Falmouth here
• Falmouth Election Information here 
• Calendar and agendas here.

Freeport

• Election Results - FY26 Budget has Passed
• Freeport-area school budget receives approval from voters, covered here by the PPH 
• Public Feedback Period for Freeport residents open through July 1, 2025 - More info here 
• Coffee with Council Leadership First Mondays - More info here 
• Freeport Climate Action Plan here.
• Freeport Comprehensive Plan Update here.
• Calendar and agendas here

Gorham 

• Gorham Election Results Here
• Citizen Volunteers Needed for Affordable Housing Committee | Applications Accepted Until June 26, 2025 - Application here 
• New Public Lands in Downtown Gorham, Covered here by The Gorham Times 
•  Fighting to keep housing affordable in Gorham, covered here by By Rep. Parnell Terry
• Gorham Climate Resiliency Results available here 
• What's Happening in Gorham - The Robie Park Master Plan, here via Vimeo
• Residents of Gorham mobile home park could be the latest to buy their community, covered here by the PPH 
• Town Council agendas

Gray

• Gray Election Results Here
• Gray and New Gloucester voters reject school budget by 19 votes, covered here by the PPH
• Town of Gray FY23 Financial Audit Completed, Deemed Clean, view workshop packet here 
• Transformation Project website here
• Council meeting schedule here

New Gloucester 

• New Gloucester Election Results here 
• Carolyn Justice & Rachel L. Rumson 
• The Town of New Gloucester has contracted with the Greater Portland Council of Governments (GPCOG) for Planning Department Assistance until a permanent Town Planner is hired. 
• Council meeting schedule here

North Yarmouth 

• North Yarmouth Election Results here 
• North Yarmouth voters rejected the Cumberland-North Yarmouth district school budget. However, the budget still passed, as Cumberland residents approved the budget and the combined vote was in favor, covered here by the PPH 
• North Yarmouth voters shoot down two of 30 articles proposed at town meeting, covered here by the PPH 
• Comprehensive Plan Proposed changes to Land Use here. 
• Meeting and agenda here.

Portland 

• Portland Election Results here 
• Portland’s single-family home market saw 44 sales in May, a 22% increase in volume from April and up 7.3% year-over-year, covered here by MaineBiz
• Portland’s property revaluation results are in — and homeowners are not happy, covered here by the PPH 
• What you need to know about Portland’s property revaluation, covered here by the PPH 
• Portland tenants union, city staff face off over rent control at council workshop, covered here by the PPH 
• MaineHousing announces $13M for new projects, including in Time and Temperature building, covered here by the PPH 
• The City will host two community design workshops for the Reimagining Franklin Street project from 4:30 PM - 6:30 PM on Wednesday, June 25, and Thursday, June 26, at the downtown Main Branch of the Portland Library, in the Rines Auditorium (5 Monument Square). Read the full details. 
• New Loans Available for Storefront Upgrades in Downtown Portland
• Council approved the Portland Development Corporation’s recommendation to create a new interest-free loan product designed to support investment in storefronts located in Downtown Portland. Interest-free loans of up to $20,000 are available to property owners and leaseholders in the Downtown TOD TIF District to finance upgrades to existing commercial properties with visible storefronts. View the map and read the full update.
• Portland and other municipalities look to address vacant storefronts with ordinances, covered here by News Center Maine 
• Downtown Portland Renys will not renew Congress Street lease, covered here by the PPH 
• East Brown Cow and Safdie Architects unveil vision for Old Port Square, covered here by the NEREJ
• New City Zoning Map - ReCode  Find the updated zoning maps + land use code, along with more information on ReCode here.
• Council goals to guide the future policy of the Council: Read the goals in full and learn Next Steps here. 
• Meeting schedule here

Pownal 

• Pownal Election Results here 
• Pownal Annual Town Report here
• Pownal Election Information here 
• Meeting calendar here

Scarborough 

• Scarborough Election Results here 
• Scarborough elects Larry Cain in special Town Council race, covered here by the PPH 
• First commercial buildings in new town center win approval in Scarborough; three buildings totaling 144,000 s/f, covered here by the NEREJ
• Council Works Toward Affordable Housing Strategy - 
• Affordable Workforce Housing Partnership Initiative RFP
• Housing Presentation - Town Council Workshop June 4, 2025
• Housing Alliance Handout as presented on June 4, 2025
• Housing Workshop Recap & Reflections here 
• Council Corner Live on housing will be held on Tuesday, July 15th at 6:00 at the Public Safety Building.
• Scarborough Flood Vulnerability Assessment here 
• Town Council agendas. 
• Planning Board agendas. 

South Portland 

• South Portland Election Results here 
• Office Hours w/ Mayor Matthews and Councilors Walker Sat., June 28, more info here 
• South Portland awarded $1 million EPA grant for 'brownfield' properties cleanup, redevelopment, covered here by News Center Maine
• Budget - FY26 Municipal Budget page
• South Portland’s 2024 Annual Report here 
• Community Newsletter here
• Production versus Permits 23/24 here.
• 2025 Work Plan here.
• City Announces Changes to Improve Development Review and Permitting, changes covered here
• Current South Portland building projects here.
• South Portland City Council and Planning Board agenda

Westbrook

• Westbrook Election Results here 
• Large condominium project is underway near Pride’s Corner in Westbrook, covered here by Maine Biz
• Westbrook mayor caps city spending; prelim tax rate up 4%, covered here by the PPH
• Westbrook schools’ proposed $53.4 million budget gets initial approval, covered here by the PPH 
• Absentee Ballot Info here 
• Westbrook Council withdraws support for the Gorham Connector: 'Not aligned with our values': covered here by WMTW
• Meeting and events calendar.

Windham

• Windham and Raymond voters approve school budget, covered here by the PPH 
• Despite opposition, budget passes during marathon Windham town meeting, covered here by the PPH 
• Town Manager retiring - Robert Burns current Assistant Manager becoming the new Manager
• First units are complete at The Cove at Highland Lake, an active 55-plus community, covered here by the PPH 
• North Windham Sewer Project Underway, more info here 
• A follow-up evaluation to the North Windham Moves study of 2022, this Downtown Windham Traffic Evaluation considers the impacts of five proposed development projects in the area.
• Located near Manchester Drive: 172 residential units are proposed to be built. 
• turning Leaf Road: Assumed 80 condos. This development is forecast to
• Microtel Inn & Suites: Assumed to add 100 keys to their existing building. 
• Behind Home Depot: 300 residential units. This
• Behind Dugout Ice Cream down Enterprise Drive: Assumed two hotels with 150 keys each and 400 units of multifamily housing. 
• Windham June Newsletter here
• Meeting calendar here.

Yarmouth 

• Yarmouth Election Results here 
• North Yarmouth Academy buys nearby building to expand boarding program, covered here by MaineBiz
• Yarmouth solar project hits zoning hurdle - cannot proceed unless the zoning is amended to allow commercial solar use, covered here by the PPH 
• 2025 Property Revaluation info here
• North Star Planning & Levine Planning Strategies presented the Audit Report on Barriers to Housing Production and their MDR Zoning District 
• Comments from Parks & Land and Tree Advisory Committees: Comments
• Affordable Housing Committee Info here 
• New Yarmouth Comprehensive Plan adopted 6/24 here 
• Yarmouth Climate Action Plan here
• Yarmouth ADU Guide here
• Yarmouth Affordable Housing Strategy here. 
• Meeting calendar here

Other State/National

• Election Results - Covered here by WMTW
• How we can fix Maine’s housing life cycle | Opinion Mike Carey, covered here
• Maine Association of Realtors urges US lawmakers to advocate for housing, covered here by maineBiz
• Maine lawmakers give mobile homeowners a leg up in park purchases Read the Portland Press Herald story to learn more, covered here by the PPH 
• Maine housing advocates warn of coming ‘tsunami’ of USDA foreclosures on rural homes, covered here by the PPH 
• Experts Say Housing Crisis Is Slowing Maine’s Economy, covered here by Fox
• Housing crunch: With a need for 84,000 housing units by 2030, Maine chips away at the challenge, covered here by MaineBiz
• How Maine is creating homes in forgotten and unlikely places, covered here by the PPH 
• Maine's subsidies for affordable housing construction have dried up, covered here by Maine Public
• Bill Tracking:
• MAR Bill Tracking here 
• 132 Legislature Bill Directory here. 
• GrowSmart Maine Policy Action 2025 here
• Maine Affordable Housing Coalition Bill Tracker here