Housing
In keeping with the Town’s Comprehensive Plan, Mount Desert 365 will address the long-held need for an increased year-round population by creating options for individuals and families to live affordably, starting in the village of Northeast Harbor.
The housing will reflect the character of the community in terms of design and materials, be eco-conscious to provide comfort and use resources economically, and will adhere to the existing land use regulations of the Town. By returning the village population closer to levels seen in earlier decades, healthy economic diversity and growth will be possible, as well as a sustainable elementary school population. On the map, the areas in blue are properties around the village of Northeast Harbor that we own and have either already developed or plan to develop for year-round housing and/or commercial space.
What We’ve Achieved:
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Two apartments were constructed in 2020 as part of the building at 6 Old Firehouse Lane. Each unit is 985 sq feet with two bedrooms and one bathroom. Both apartments are occupied by year-round families.
The building is also home to the Maine Seacoast Mission’s offices on the ground level and our offices on the second floor.
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Mount Desert 365 and Island Housing Trust share a vision for the long-term viability of communities on Mount Desert Island through affordable housing opportunities. A partnership between the two organizations and a local family made a Northeast Harbor property available for purchase, at below market rates, with covenants in place to ensure that the home remains affordable and inhabited year-round by median-income households in the future. The home was sold to a local family in 2021.
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Properties currently owned on Main Street are home to one year-round family and three commercial tenants.
What We Have Planned:
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The Heel Way Subdivision (pictured above and on our home page) will bring six year-round family homes to the market in Northeast Harbor. The home and landscaping plans are designed to complement the local aesthetic. The site is presently developed with one single-family home. This project will add two duplexes and one new single-family home to create a total of six residences in four structures. An existing five-bay garage structure will be renovated and used for additional storage space by future residents.
The Heel Way Subdivision is being developed to provide homeownership opportunities that will remain affordable to median-income year-round residents in perpetuity. There will be eligibility criteria for prospective homeowners with income caps tied to state median income levels, and requirements that any future sale of the properties be made only to other such eligible households.
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Mount Desert 365 owns four contiguous properties in the Village Commercial (VC) district on Main Street in Northeast Harbor. These lots will be developed to align aesthetically with other Main Street properties and will feature on-site parking, retail, dining, and offices on the street level, with apartments of various sizes on the upper levels. These mixed-use spaces will be made available exclusively on a year-round basis, with a mix of rental and condominium ownership opportunities, to support equity investment on a smaller scale than a single-family home or stand alone structure.
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Additional homes will be developed on other lots owned in the Village Residential (VR) district.
While we do not have any homes to rent or purchase at the moment, we keep a list of interested people to contact when something does become available. Please click on the button below to fill out our form and let us know what type of housing you’re in search of. We will contact you if we learn of anything that might fit your needs. PLEASE NOTE: We only offer year-round housing options.