CAMDEN — A shortage of workforce housing prompted School Administrative District 28 to convert the Elm Street School, located on the corner of Elm and Union streets in Camden, to apartments for teachers by Fall 2027. The idea was introduced to the Camden Select Board Feb. 6 at a regularly scheduled meeting, with SAD 28 and Five Town CSD Superintendent Maria Libby proposing a zoning change on that lot to allow for the creation of ground floor apartments.

If approved by Camden voters, the zoning change would enable a full three-story build-out of eight to 10 apartments, said Libby. If not approved, she envisions the school building’s second and third floors to be renovated into apartments, and the ground floor used for other educational purposes.

In any event, the 154-year-old school is destined for a dramatic change of use, if all goes according to plan.

“I like to think of it as an innovative thing that we are doing,” said Libby, speaking to the Camden Select Board Feb. 6.

In a Feb. 8 phone conversation, she said potential SAD 28 and Five Town CSD (Camden Hills Regional High School) employees are attracted to the Midcoast area for many reasons, including highly regarded school districts, but it is difficult for them to find housing.

“People we have hired have struggled to find housing,” she said. 

With the Elm Street School apartments, the goal is for them to be considered transitional housing. That would allow time for, “ them to figure out housing, get to know people and network,” said Libby, as they find viable longterm homes in the Midcoast.

It would, “enable people to accept a job and enable time to try and find housing,” she told the Select Board.

Currently, the Elm Street School is home to the independent Children’s House Montessori School, which has been leasing the yellow school house since 2004. That was when SAD 28 (Camden-Rockport K-8) vacated the building, sending its K-2 grades over to the Camden-Rockport Elementary School in Rockport.

The Elm Street School was built in 1869, and is loaded with history and memories. It was originally a high school and built on the site of School House Hall, which was destroyed by fire in 1868, according to Camden’s 2017 Comprehensive Plan. The school served as one of the community’s many schools, as Camden’s historian, Barbara F. Dyer wrote about in 2016, in her essay, “Goodbye to Old Schools.”

“In 1862, schools were placed in various parts of town because all children had to walk,” wrote Dyer. “They were graded and became the Megunticook District, incorporated by the Legislature in 1874. It was stated that we had ‘eight good school houses and 12 poor ones.’” 

The Elm Street School became the high school, and then more than a century later, the school for younger students. With its tall ceilings and wood floors, and proximity to downtown Camden, it was a longtime favorite for teachers and students. In 1968, its ownership was transferred to the school district for $0.

In 2004, SAD 28 had voted to lease the Elm Street School for up to 24 years to the Montessori School, a contract that was written to terminate in 2028. The original lease was set at $20,000 per year, with an annual increase set to the federal consumer price index, which fluctuates.

In June 2023, however, the SAD 28 board voted to give the Montessori School a three-year notice, asking it to vacate the Elm Street School by June 2026.

“We had been talking with them prior to that, letting them know that was likely to happen, given that we were working on this project,” said Libby.

The Montessori School apparently has plans to relocate to a new facility in West Rockport, details of which are not yet finalized.

She said the idea occurred to her after watching other business entities, as well as Acadia National Park, develop housing for employees. She and the school board became aware of various school districts, including Colorado Springs, San Francisco, and Pinellas County, Florida, doing similar projects to attract and retain employees.

Converting the school to apartments for district employees remains a viable school use, she told the Select Board, thereby conforming to any deed restrictions.

That board, however, wants to clarify whether ownership of the Elm Street School reverts back to the municipality if the school is no longer used as an educational facility. The board directed Camden’s planner, Jeremy Martin, to engage Town Attorney William Kelly in a conversation with SAD 28’s attorney to establish which entity – the town or the school district — has oversight of the building and the lot it sits on if it is no longer used conventionally as a school.

On Feb. 8, Libby said the two attorneys had begun talking, and were, “digging deeper.”

“It  is a viable school use and there is nothing that would say that this a discontinuation of use by the school district,” she said. “There is no clause in our deed that would automatically revert the deed to the town.”

She had told the Camden Select Board that some towns inserted reverter language in their deeds if the buildings were not used for school purposes. In the case of Camden, there, “is no requirement for us to ever give it back to the town.”

“That’s not part of our deeds,” she said, a conclusion reached after looking at the 1938 deed and 1968 deed.

Using property to recruit teachers is a valid use of school property, Libby said. “In any given year, we are hiring 25 to 28 teachers and administrators, mostly moving here.”

Zoning change

Libby told the Select she hopes to get a zoning change to allow creation of apartments on the first floor.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

The school lies in Camden’s B-1 zoning district, which allows multifamily housing but not on the first floor. She is hoping the town will approve specifically a zoning change for the lot, which is approximately one-half acre in size. The school’s last recorded renovations were in 2004, according to the municipal property card.

Anticipating approval by voters, the school district hopes to go out to bid on the project in 2025.

At the Feb. 6 meeting, no one disputed the need for more workforce housing, but board members questioned the process by which the matter had come before the board. It appeared on the agenda, but there were no background materials provided in the meeting packet, and no explanation of the idea’s origin.

“Has your attorney talked with our town attorney as to whether the building reverts to town ownership,” asked Camden Select Board Chair Tom Hedstrom. “The information is new. I would like the town attorney to weigh in on this.”

He asked Libby: “You are interested in becoming a landlord?”

“We’re interested in providing housing, and would hope to cover costs to hire somebody else,” said Libby.

Board member Alison McKellar said: “Overall, I love the idea of trying to actually do something to create affordable housing.”

She supports second and third floor apartment use, but expressed caution over, “too much residential encroachment downtown.”

McKellar suggested there might be more widespread support if the project be completed in conjunction with the municipality, and said she wanted more time to consider the project.

Camden Planner Jeremy Martin said the Planning Board has prepared ordinance language with the intent to expand housing opportunities and which would apply to eight other properties in town. That board plans to hold a Feb. 29 hearing, said Martin.

“It is doable for the June ballot,” he said.

That would entail a mid- to late-March hearing by the Select Board, he said. 

“I think we have time to do it,” he said. “It is not overly complicated.”

Board member Sophie Romana said the Select Board was appreciative of the project’s intent, “but why is it coming now without having the municipal attorney talking with SAD 28 attorney?”

She asked what the impact would be on the school budget.

Funding the project

“My desire is to get as much private funding as I can to minimize the effect on taxpayers,” she said, Feb. 8. “I am hopeful and going into it with the goal of trying to raise all the money. I think there will be some help in the community. It is a good project to partner on.”

She said the Midcoast Regional Housing Trust , a Rockland-based nonprofit advancing year-round workforce housing, expressed interest in collaborating on the project. Additionally, the district is talking with a private foundation and Educate Maine, a Portland-based nonprofit working to advance education policies and practices.

“Everyone is interested and supportive,” she said.

As for price estimates, Libby said it was too early for numbers. She referenced Rose Hall, the former Mary E. Taylor School on Knowlton Street, which was converted from school use to district administrative offices. That cost approximately $5 million.

The total square footage of that space is 25,688.

The Elm Street School has 3,800 square feet on each of the first and second floors, and with the third floor attic space, there is a total of 7,600 square feet.

“We’re not going to do anything fancy,” she said.

Libby said the Elm Street School is iconic, and its footprint and exterior look would remain as it is. Inside, the apartments would be a mix of studios, one-bedroom and two-bedroom units.

The lot has 10 parking spaces, with, “ample public parking a short walk from the site,” said Libby. “Our plan would be to keep the grounds open to the public. It is a popular playground. We would envision enhanced outdoor spaces for residents and the public.”

She acknowledges that funding the renovations through private funding is a lofty goal, “but I have already started working on that.”

Both the SAD 28 and Five Town CSD school board chairs endorsed the project before the Camden Select Board. 

Given the nationwide crisis of housing, “there will be a real interest to make this happen,” said CSD Chair Marcus Mrowka. 

Camden will create a, “a model and a sustainable option for other communities,” he said. “It will put Camden on the map as leading the way on this.”

Mrowka continued: “I think we can easily have our fundraising covered. Of course, there might still be a taxpayer portion but I would not equate this with any other school project that we have had in the past because of the nature of the crisis and the interest there is in solving this.”

He was backed up by SAD 28 School Board Chair Patrick McCafferty, who outlined the process to date, beginning with the district’s Facilities Committee discussions.

“We don’t want to rush the process or create any unnecessary haste,” he said. “But we don’t want to create any unnecessary delay. We have motivations to be timely. It makes us more competitive as a district.”

He said there were a number of interested parties in terms of fundraising and contracting, and, “we don’t want to lose momentum.”

Martin indicated the project had merits.

“The developers are not there and incentives are not there on the state level for workforce housing,” said Martin. “When you have an entity that has property and is ready to do a project for workforce, I think it is a great thing. This stretch of the Midcoast has a gap in housing projects, and no funding [directed] to this area. From a zoning perspective, we are moving forward to try and facilitate housing.”

McKellar responded there was: “no misunderstanding about the crisis here, but this was on the agenda with no information. I feel uncomfortable sending it forward tonight and then receiving all the public input.”

Libby said the project would require voter approval, as would private fundraising.

“I need to understand the benefit of rushing,” said McKellar.

Town Manager Audra Caler outlined the possibility of additional community funding mechanisms, “from a lot of different sources.”

Romana questioned the urgency to get the matter before voters in June, as opposed to November.

Martin said the process for introducing zoning changes involves going through his office, then to the Planning Board, then on to the Select Board.

The purpose of Libby appearing before the Select Board was a chance for her to explain the project, he said. 

The Planning Board already discussed the zoning change for the Elm Street School as a non-agenda item at a previous meeting.

“There is a little bit of communication with the public,” he said.

“It has not even come to the town attorney,” said Chair Hedstrom. “It really has not been vetted by the town office in any regard.”

Romana requested a timeline, and then have the town decide: “whether we can make it happen for June or November. I think the board is supportive of this issue.”

Hedstrom noted the need for a full, public process.

“What is the pressure to get this on the June ballot,” he asked. “I would like to see this one well-vetted.”

SAD 28 architect Joe Russillo said the construction timeline warrants a June vote.

In order to secure public funds, the project would need to go before voters in June 2025.

“If the vote happens in November, we cannot design the building until then,” he said, putting further time restrictions on the ability to design and produce estimates.

“If the ordinance [vote] happens in June, then the process provides more time,” he said. “That, from our perspective, is the reason for ordinance change to happen sooner than later.”

“I understand that it is a long process, but I do not think we should rush zoning change,” said Hedstrom. "I am supportive of various aspects of the project. But the way we do zoning in this town, and this form of government, is slow. It is almost by design. And as long as we have this form of government, we should at least go through this process.”

Martin said the Planning Board is dues to present zoning and ordinance recommendations to the Select Board by March 6.

“I expect more people will have an interest and moving forward,” said Martin. 

There will be, by municipal process, two hearings on the zoning change, one before the Planning Board, the other before the Select Board.

The conversation concluded with Hedstrom reiterating that the board was, “generally supportive. Don’t know to what scale, but the board is reticent to move quickly on zoning changes.”

It was agreed the process was now before the Planning Board for next steps.

Reach Editorial Director Lynda Clancy at lyndaclancy@penbaypilot.com; 207-706-6657