Topic · Development · Maine · public record

Housing density across Maine

What this decidesWhat can be built on a site, and whether the town is about to change it.

Rules setting how many units can be built on a lot and where: dimensional and lot-size standards, multifamily allowances, inclusionary requirements, and the comprehensive-plan work behind them.Our definition of the class.

40
towns on the record
485
events on the record
310
in the last 90 days
3
threads on the record

What this page is for one topic across Maine's municipalities on the public record: where it is moving, which towns carry it, the documents behind it. A subscriber sees it cut to their own towns and questions. If it does not, write to us; that is what changes the next edition.

Where it is on the record40 towns, most movement first

Every town carrying this class on the record through 2026-08-31: events in the last 90 days against the 90 before, the same 90-day count as a rolling line, whose right-hand point is that number, the latest document.
Bangor58 events35 in 90 days ▲ +75.0%latest 2026-08-07, City Council Regular Meeting Agenda (PDF)
Eliot51 events35 in 90 days ▲ +133.3%latest 2026-08-07, Planning Board Ordinance Subcommittee Meeting Plan
Westbrook55 events34 in 90 days ▲ +100.0%latest 2026-08-31, Staff Memo 09.01.2026
Bar Harbor50 events34 in 90 days ▲ +126.7%latest 2026-08-07, Packet for February 17, 2026.
Winthrop48 events32 in 90 days ▲ +113.3%latest 2026-08-07, Planning Board Meeting
Auburn35 events32 in 90 dayslatest 2026-08-25, City Committees — Minutes 5 12 26 Approved 6 16 26
Mount Desert37 events30 in 90 dayslatest 2026-08-07, LUZO Advisory Group Meeting- CANCELLED
Freeport32 events30 in 90 dayslatest 2026-08-07, Planning Board Meeting Agenda
Gorham22 events21 in 90 dayslatest 2026-08-06, Affordable Housing Committee Regular Meeting Agend
Cumberland20 events2 in 90 dayslatest 2026-07-01, Planning Board Agenda January 20, 2026
Yarmouth12 events2 in 90 dayslatest 2026-07-01, Planning Board — PB Workshop on Various Amendments
Saco10 events2 in 90 daysnew on the recordlatest 2026-08-30, LRPC Discussion Presentation
Augusta7 events2 in 90 days ▲ +100.0%latest 2026-08-24, Packet
Biddeford3 events2 in 90 days ▲ +100.0%latest 2026-08-31, PY21 CDBG CAPER, PR26
Durham2 events2 in 90 daysnew on the recordlatest 2026-08-30, Open
Lincoln2 events2 in 90 daysnew on the recordlatest 2026-08-06, Information-Packet-August-IMU-Ordinance-Amendment
Patten2 events2 in 90 daysnew on the recordlatest 2026-08-24, 6A5Fb0 539766D49C634380A40A28Cdc02E4354
Wiscasset6 events1 in 90 days ▬ +0.0%latest 2026-08-11, Agenda — 2026-07-27
Brunswick2 events1 in 90 daysnew on the recordlatest 2026-08-31, Homeless Shelter Licensing Ordinance (PDF)
Portland2 events1 in 90 days ▬ +0.0%latest 2026-06-25, Special City Council Meeting 2 - August 24, 2026 a
Jay1 event1 in 90 daysnew on the recordlatest 2026-08-22, June 8, 2026
Kennebunk1 event1 in 90 daysnew on the recordlatest 2026-08-05, AgendaCenter agenda
Lewiston1 event1 in 90 daysnew on the recordlatest 2026-08-31, Article X
Pownal1 event1 in 90 daysnew on the recordlatest 2026-08-24, January 12, 2026 Minutes.pdf
Scarborough1 event1 in 90 daysnew on the recordlatest 2026-08-31, Long Range Planning Committee - Jun 12 2026 — 2026
Shapleigh1 event1 in 90 daysnew on the recordlatest 2026-08-14, Comprehensive Plan Survey
South Portland1 event1 in 90 daysnew on the recordlatest 2026-08-31, Zoning Text Amendment - City of South Portland - M
York1 event1 in 90 daysnew on the recordlatest 2026-08-05, AgendaCenter minutes
Belfast4 events0 in 90 dayslatest 2026-03-17, March 17, 2026
Falmouth3 events0 in 90 dayslatest 2026-03-02, CDC_Minutes_10.29.25.pdf
Caribou2 events0 in 90 dayslatest 2026-03-02, Packet
Livermore Falls2 events0 in 90 dayslatest 2026-04-19, SB Minutes 10-21-25
Richmond2 events0 in 90 dayslatest 2025-09-29, Meeting Agenda
Rockland2 events0 in 90 dayslatest 2025-10-08, 2025-09-08 Housing Task Force Meeting Agenda
Bridgton1 event0 in 90 dayslatest 2026-04-15, PBWA 2.19.26
Harpswell1 event0 in 90 dayslatest 2026-04-24, RFP Harpswell HOP Grant Consultant
Limington1 event0 in 90 dayslatest 2026-04-10, Download
New Gloucester1 event0 in 90 dayslatest 2026-04-09, Agenda Packet 3 19 24 PB Public Hearing(1)
Turner1 event0 in 90 dayslatest 2026-04-10, pb minutes 01-17-24
Waterville1 event0 in 90 dayslatest 2026-02-23, Untitled

Threads on the record3 threads

Matters in this class that have come back to a board more than once: the title, the towns, the documents by their meeting date. The reading of each is written for subscribers.
Auburn Council weighs mobile home rent stabilization ordinanceLewiston and AuburnCity Council, Rent Stabilization Board
17 August City Council20 July City Council6 July City Council15 June City Council
Brunswick Council weighs Mobile Home Park ordinanceBrunswickFinance Subcommittee, Housing Committee, Mobile Home Park Rent Review Board, Mobile Home Rent Review Board
17 August Agenda3 August Town Council27 July Town Council
Westbrook Development Corporation proposes two 36-Unit affordable housing dwellingsScarborough and WestbrookCity Council, Planning Board
7 July Agenda15 June Agenda2 June Planning Board

Who this typically touches

Business types a matter in this class typically reaches. Our inference from the class, not the record's words; a specific organization is named on these pages only when the record itself names it.

Likely to gain: homebuilders and residential developers (density changes set what can be built where); modular and manufactured-home builders; land use counsel and planning consultants (a density rewrite is a contracted planning engagement).

Worth watching: multifamily investors and their lenders (allowed density sets the unit count a project can carry).

One scope up

The same class at a wider scope: Housing density in Maine · Housing density in New Hampshire · Housing density in Massachusetts · Housing density in Vermont · Housing density in Connecticut · Housing density in California · Housing density across the country.

The site's story: The Housing Density Wave Is Rewriting Municipal Zoning in Real Time.

Counts and dates are taken from the documents on the record in this window. The class and its definition are ours.