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V O L . X X I X N O. X I X 66 Fact Book / Doing Business in Maine B U S I N E S S R E S O U R C E S Lewiston Lewiston's slogan — "Opportunity lives here!" — signals its certification as a business-friendly city by the state. In 2022 Lewiston City Council set a goal of increasing housing of all types in the city. An important strategy to achiev- ing this goal was city zoning codes. Zoning updates are designed to remove obstacles to economic develop- ment and encourage more housing. "Before adopting these zoning improvements, many requirements not only hindered development but also, some may argue, actively worked against it," says City Councilor Rick LaChapelle, Ward 4. e amended ordinances are designed to be more efficient, user- friendly and clear. "We're in the age of streamlining," says LaChapelle. "Why not streamline the process of getting permits, make it user-friendly, say 'Yes, we can' instead of 'No, we can't?'" Says Misty Parker, assistant direc- tor of Lewiston's economic develop- ment department, "Developers want to see predictability in our process." e process was impelled by the city's continued growth and the real- ization that it needs to develop deeper relationships within the community to meet its needs. "ere's no scorecard saying we were failing in any areas," LaChapelle says. "It's just a question of, in this day and age, how do we make things easier?" e ordinances had largely gone untouched for decades. e changes were accomplished within a year. "When we started talking about this project it was massive," he says. "And it didn't just involve one depart- ment. Planning, code enforcement, economic development, the police department, the fire department — every department had input." e process's "lightning speed" was a matter of will. "e city council spoke clearly about what they wanted," LaChapelle says. "e city administration grabbed the reins and went full-steam: 'It needs to be done; it needs to be done quickly.' It was a great teamwork effort. And we know it will have profound impacts not just in 10 years, but next year." Topics addressed included parking, accessory dwelling units, housing den- sity, three main commercial arterials and business and housing opportunities. Among the specifics, modified zoning of nearly 375 properties within Sabattus, Lisbon and Main Street cor- ridors, including increased depth of commercial zoning districts, reduced setbacks providing more space for development and more opportunities for multi-family development. Multi-family development is now allowed in the three corridors, in order to increase housing supply, make more efficient use of the land, enhance neighborhood and urban vitality, and improve access to amenities. Within the greater downtown area, where properties are closer to public transportation, sidewalks and munici- pal parking facilities, parking stan- dards were reduced to provide more opportunity for lot development. For example, new businesses will likely not have to provide parking on site in much of the downtown. In some neighborhoods, the city now permits small stores and food establishments in order to increase neighborhood vibrancy and quality of life. Updates provide for creative recre- ation solutions in the downtown, such as indoor recreation spaces, balconies and rooftop decks. Restrictions on backlot and accessory structure develop- ment and expansions were eased. Updates even allow more Lewiston homeowners to have the opportunity to keep bees and chickens. Recognizing changes in today's work environment, new rules expand home occupation Sister cities Lewiston and Auburn, a stone's throw from each other across the Androscoggin River, both have a "yes, in my backyard" perspective on development. Lewiston is nearing completion of an extensive zoning update to facilitate more commercial and residential development. Auburn is courting developers to build 2,000 new housing units by 2025. Lewiston and Auburn say 'yes' to development B y L a u r i e S c h r e i b e r P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY The Lewiston City Council is saying, 'Yes, come to Lewiston. We're open for business,'"

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