Two state lawmakers representing Harpswell held a workshop at the Town Office on Thursday, Aug. 14, to explain four new state laws that could impact the community.
Maine Senate President Mattie Daughtry, D-Brunswick, and Rep. Cheryl Golek, D-Harpswell, focused on measures to expand affordable housing, update local planning rules, create a license to sell invasive green crabs, and review trap limits in lobster zones.
L.D. 1829 requires towns to allow more housing units per lot, streamlines approvals and sets limits on local restrictions. Most of its provisions apply to “growth areas” — places towns identify for development — and communities with public water and sewer service, which Harpswell lacks.
Still, Harpswell Planning Board Chair Amy Haible criticized the law, calling it heavy-handed and saying it would stifle community participation in local planning.
In response, Golek pointed to a Maine State Housing Authority study that found Maine must add 84,000 housing units by 2030 to meet its residential and workforce needs.
L.D. 1751 updates Maine’s growth management law, which guides how towns plan for future development. The changes modernize state goals to promote housing near jobs and services, encourage regional planning and improve access to the working waterfront.
L.D. 1503 creates a new wholesale dealer license limited to green crabs, an invasive species that threatens Maine’s marine ecosystem. The license is intended to encourage commercial markets for the crabs while supporting management efforts through a dedicated fund.
L.D. 1561 directs the state Department of Marine Resources to gather input from lobster zone councils on how many traps fishermen may set outside their home zone. The agency must report its findings to the Legislature by the end of the year, which could lead to further changes in 2026.
Select Board member Matt Gilley, a lobsterman, said he fears the law could be a precursor to shutting Harpswell-area lobstermen out of neighboring zones.
Golek responded by saying any proposed changes resulting from the effort would require a public process to implement.
