How Island Housing Trust became a tool in fight over affordable housing

OTHER NEWS: COA limits housing for working students; Naturalist Notebook for sale; Businesses to feed Seawall workers; BDN poll show Mainers using hotels less

NORTHEAST HARBOR, July 19, 2024 - How did I end up on the same donor list as Leonard Leo?

But there it was, in the 2022 annual report of the Island Housing Trust, my and Leo’s names on the same page. Granted, I was in steerage section with my measly donation and Leo was in platinum class, along with Charles Butt and David and Susan Rockefeller as $50,000-plus donors.

The circumstances surrounding Leo’s donations two years ago changed after he and others co-opted IHT’s good name to control housing in the Village. He no longer was just another benign donor, but one seeking, with others, to influence policy.

The Island Housing Trust had become a cudgel, intentional or not, exploited by summer resident who did not wish to share the village with six working class families. It hit a fevered pitch when seven of them hired a lawyer and sued the town to overturn its approval of the units at Heel Way.

Superior Court Thomas McKeon ruled in favor of the town and now the seven plaintiffs are appealing to the state’s Supreme Court, which could hold up the project another year.

Bar Harbor Councilor Gary Friedmann, who makes a living raising money for the Island Housing Trust and other non-profits, said Leo’s emergence as a big-name donor on MDI is the subject of much discussion.

The summer people are here for just a few months and they gravitate to the same blue-chip charities. That’s how I became a donor. Who could argue with IHT’s mission to build affordable houses?

Unless it is being weaponized against the Common Good and becomes a vehicle for “reputation washing.”

At least one opponent invoked his membership in Island Housing Trust as if that inoculated him from criticism of his NIMBY stance.

The QSJ previously reported that another member of IHT’s board, Swan real estate associate broker Erica Brooks, sued the Town of Bar Harbor to overturn its short term vacation rental moratorium and took it all the way to the state Supreme Court before losing.

In September 2022, 205 opponents, including Leonard Leo, submitted a petition urging the Planning Board to reject the project before the non-profit Mount Desert 365 even filed a formal application.

“The signers support workforce housing and point to the Island Housing Trust (IHT) model recently employed in Northeast Harbor, as a better strategy. IHT disperses units by utilizing existing houses within existing neighborhoods, not building new high density subdivisions. The IHT model better preserves the quality and character of life in Northeast Harbor.”

What exactly did the petitioners mean by “character of life?” Only a generation ago most of those summer homes in the Village were occupied by the same working class families the town is trying to bring back.

Most of IHT’s housing units are in high density subdivisions. “They just aren’t in places where the summer people have to look at them,” said one resident in favor of the affordable units.

The petition was an inconvenient deus ex machina, publicly pitting IHT against MD 365, another non-profit with a similar model but no hesitation taking advantage of looser density ordinances enacted specifically to spur year-round workforce housing in places like the Village.

Some of the signed opponents, Katheen Vignos, Gail Clark, Lynn and Stuart Janney, Ann Cannon, were also donors to Island Housing Trust. Stuart Janney and Ann Cannon are plaintiffs in the lawsuit against the town. Gail Clark is a friend of another plaintiff Lynne Wheat, with whom I had a brief encounter from sharing a golf cart, until Clark told her I was a “journalist” at a fundraiser for MDI Hospital in the summer of 2022 when Hospital President Chrissy MaGuire thanked Leonard Leo and David Rockefeller in the same breath for co-sponsoring the donor reception.

I nearly choked on my deviled egg canape.

Both the hospital and IHT stated that their policy is to accept donations regardless of political considerations.

Other non-profits, however, will not accept donations which they believe could compromise their long-term goals or hurt their brand.

And what happens when donors become activists and exploit your brand to support their causes?

Friedmann said one non-profit, which he did not identify, recently rejected a sizable donation from the family of Eliot Cutler, an independent who came close to defeating former Gov. Paul LePage in 2010. Cutler was convicted of four counts of possessing child pornography in May 2023.

Friedmann said the donation was big enough to have “naming rights.”

I asked IHT executive director Marla O’Bryne whether Leo has made more donations since the 2022 annual report. She declined to answer. Aren’t donors entitled to know?

(Leo could have chosen to be an anonymous donor knowing full well that he is a public lightning rod.)

O’Byrne added in an email, “IHT does not foster or agree with any nonprofit being pitted against another. As I've said before, IHT believes in a collaborative approach to carry out our mission to support our communities.”

For her part, she signed a letter in support of MD 365, along with the hospital, Friends of Acadia, the Garden Preserve.

But with so many donors publicly opposed to the MD 365 project, will the IHT ever be able to venture into the Village to build anything of scale? And how would the IHT deal with naming rights if a donor ever sought a physical legacy, as was the case in IHT’s Somesville subdivision.

(The six units being challenged are just an appetizer. MD 365 owns land in the same neighborhood which could add another 20 workforce housing units).

Town Manager Durlin Lunt, who grew up in the Village, said there was a rich history of Village homes being occupied by working families who catered to the summer people - in exactly the same neighborhood which is being contested.

“I am deeply disappointed by the selfish actions of a few individuals who think only about themselves and not the future needs of the town,” Lunt told Bar Harbor Story. “(It’s) a very different attitude than I remember growing up in Northeast Harbor.”

For those who have been living in a cave the last two years and aren’t familiar with Leo, here is a recent article in the Guardian, which should catch you up nicely. And there was this article from Propublica.

How did Leo make his money? Here is what Esquire reported on that topic.

Friedmann said philanthropy would not exist if society had a fair and equal distribution of wealth. “How did the Rockefellers get rich?” he asked.

Fair enough, but we’re at least four generations past John D. Rockefeller, who built Standard Oil by rolling over who ever got in his way, according to Ida Tarbell, the muckraker who wrote The History of the Standard Oil Company, published in 1904. (That book sits on my shelf next to Lincoln Steffens’s biopic.)

Today’s Rockefellers are among the most publicly minded citizens in the country.

Leonard Leo, on the other hand, is very much at the peak of his influence. He could do damage for another generation.

We’re now witnessing his hand at a very local level.

How does the staff at the hospital’s women’s center feel about Leo’s shadow? How comfortable would a trans person be about the care at the hospital?

I have diverted my IHT gift to the soup kitchens and food pantries on the Island which, I hope, are safe havens from Leo’s clutches. I have limited my gifts to the hospital for specific clinics, like the one in Northeast Harbor which caters mostly to residents and not the hordes off-loading from cruise ships.

O’Byrne wrote in an email, “We would be sorry to lose you as a member if you chose to no longer contribute to IHT, but we appreciate the support you have given our housing efforts in the past.”

All politics is local. Leo has brought his sensibility as a devout Catholic here. He is said to go to mass every day. When I was in a Dominican missionary school, I would hide in the library on First Fridays so I wouldn’t have to go to mass.

He is creating a society which fits his sensibility. What about the rest of us?

And why is the IHT enabling it?

Food Pantry: COA needs to help us

BAR HARBOR - Director Tom Reeve and his staff work tirelessly to feed the needy at the food pantry where one of the the biggest bloc of consumers are students from the College of the Atlantic. How much does COA contribute to the food bank? Not a dime.

Worse, Reeve said, its housing policies make it difficult for students to work at the pantry.

Reeve said instead of cash gifts, he wished the college would lighten up on its restrictive summer housing policies.

Many COA students stick around during the summer. Reeve has two who work as paid interns.

Their biggest roadblock - affordable housing. What else?

Reeve wished that the college could free some of its 17 AirBNB rentals units to house a few students at a reasonable rate so that they may contribute to the greater good and make a few bucks as well.

Or, Reeve said, COA could relax its strict summer dormitory requirement that students must perform 35 hours of work on COA projects, such as landscaping.

“How can someone do a full-time job (as a food pantry intern) and then work another 35 hours?” Reeve asked.

COA spokesman Rob Levin did not response to a request for comment.

Levin also did not comment for my last article about how COA students now make up a third of the consumers of the food pantry.

Naturalist Notebook closes, for sale

SEAL HARBOR - The eccentric and beloved Nature’s Notebook store here next to the Lighthouse Restaurant has closed, and is for sale.

The restaurateur Michel Boland purchased it in 2021 but recently put it on the market.

“Having graduated from COA and being a lifelong naturalist myself, I am sad to think about the potential loss of the Notebook for both visitors and our local community alike, and we're quite hopeful that any buyer ends up reopening the place, and we'll do anything we can to assist in that.

“Indeed, we're selling it turn-key including all of the furniture, fixtures, art installations and a huge amount of books and a wide variety of retail items ready to sell; just as Craig had sold it to us.”

Craig Neff was about to close the store in 2021 when Boland rescued it. His wife Pamela founded it in 2008. She died in 2018.

"We purchased the Notebook in spring of 2021 from the original owner and founder of the shop, who had closed it down after his wife passed away in 2018,” Boland stated in an email. 

“It was a passion project for them, and was for us as well.  I was thrilled to play a part in getting reopened as I personally loved the store and went often, and believed that it was an important part of the Island community.   

“We were lucky to have Jordan Chalfant, their original Manager, come on board to be the General Manager for us. When she left the Notebook for a different job this past early spring, we put out word trying to find someone to run it, but those were the biggest of big shoes to fill and alas, we didn't find someone to take it over.”   

In an interview with the Islander in 2021, Neff described the store as “an exploratorium … that comes alive each summer with nature, science, fun, interactive installations, learning, shopping, creativity, great people and the amazing 13.8-billion-year history of the universe.” 

The Naturalist Notebook became a fixture for a generation of children during their summers on MDI.

The property is listed for $799,000. Boland paid $350,000 for it in 2022, when it finally closed, according to town records.

Council sends stark message to citizens who criticize

BAR HARBOR - The Town Council sent an undeniable message last week to anyone who seeks to sit on the town’s most influential boards or committees: Check your criticism at the door.

Despite council member Maya Caines’s plea for volunteers to fill the town’s many open vacancies, the council voted 5-2 to leave a seat on the Planning Board unfilled rather than give it to Diane Vreeland, a frequent critic of the town’s planning policies.

Councilor Joe Minutolo voted against Vreeland in a direct conflict of interest because his life partner, Planning Director Michele Gagnon, would have been in the direct line of fire from Vreeland who spoke publicly many times against Gagnon’s recommended policies for growth in the town’s rural districts.

See this video and Vreeland’s comments at 36:15 minutes into the May 21 council meeting.

Minutolo did not respond to my question of why did not recuse himself as he did last year when the town manager’s job was under consideration.

The town manager is technically the planning director’s immediate supervisor but Planning Board has a much bigger influence.

Vreeland issued this statement:

“After being nominated for a two-year position on the Planning Board by the appointment committee, I was truly surprised by Town Council votes 5-2 against my appointment to the Planning Board. Particularly given my qualifications for decades actively involved in zoning and planning. Also, my comments at public hearing are based on extensive research but in the event a correction is needed I value differing views and new information.

“What is particularly troubling is that there was no discussion or any reason given to not appoint me to the Planning Board for the two-year term.”

Restaurants to feed Seawall Road repair crew; donations sought

SOUTHWEST HARBOR - Several island businesses are rallying to provide food and support for the contractors and crew who are scheduled to start repairing Seawall Road Monday.

“With a concerted effort, it looks like many are coming together too feed, reward, and thank the road crew and companies for the amazing work that will begin this week on the Seawall Road restoration project,” Charlotte Gill, owner of Charlotte’s Legendary Lobster Pound, stated on Facebook.

“George Seavey from Aloha in Bar Harbor is providing luncheons three of the five days, with me from Charlotte’s Legendary Lobster and Renee Feliciano from Next Level Sports Bar covering the other two.

“Besides the above, breakfast, snacks and so much more including cash donations to Mary-Ellen Martel to coordinate, help fund, and pull this all together, (with more community members that can be listed) are making this happen.”

The state DOT approved the temporary repair by local contractors volunteering their services and donating materials after stating it could not repair the road with a more permanent fix until next spring.

The contractors are John Goodwin Jr., Doug Gott & Sons, BFP Trucking, Northeast Paving and Rings Paving. GT Outhouses is donating portable toilets.

“A food tent will be set up next to the picnic area entrance, (as that’s closest for the workers), with George primarily manning it each day from beginning to end for the project duration,: Gill stated.

“If anyone has anything they wish to drop off they can take it to the tent directly, (Bass Harbor entrance to the camp ground), or if on the Bar Harbor side they could get in touch with Mary-Ellen, and find a drop point, or if they’re in the Manset area drop it off at Charlotte’s Legendary Lobster Pound or The Seawall Motel if that’s easier, and we will make sure it gets where it’s going.”

BDN Poll: Mainers cut down on hotel stays

BAR HARBOR - Acadia National Park and this town were the top vote getter in a poll of Maine residents to the question, “Is there a place in Maine you used to travel to and stay at frequently, but don’t as much anymore because it’s gotten too expensive?”

“Of the 153 people who responded to this question, 45 said they visit Bar Harbor less than they used to, and 36 said Portland,” according to the Bangor Daily News.

“Nearly 200 Bangor Daily News readers who responded to our survey earlier this week on hotels and other lodging in Maine overwhelmingly said that they were traveling within the state less due to rising costs and other concerns.”

Other questions and answers include:

How much are you willing or able to spend on a night of lodging in Maine?

Just over 64 percent of the 190 respondents said they would be willing or able to spend between $101 and $200 per night for a hotel or vacation rental. Nearly 16 percent of respondents said they’d spend between $201 and $300 per night, and 14.2 percent said they would spend less than $100. Just 5.2 percent of respondents said they would spend more than $301.

Given the choice, what type of lodging would you prefer?

Of the 190 who answered, 41.5 percent said they would prefer to stay in a locally owned hotel, motel or bed and breakfast, while 36.8 percent said they’d prefer a national chain hotel that offers a rewards program.

Only 9.4 percent of respondents said they’d prefer a rental cottage or cabin, 5.7 percent said they’d want to stay in an Airbnb or VRBO, 4.7 percent said they’d prefer to stay with family or friends, and just 1.5 percent said they’d want to stay in a campground.

Do you stay in hotels, Airbnbs and other types of paid lodging less than you used to?

A whopping 72.6 percent of respondents said they stay in paid lodging less than they used to, while 27 percent said they stayed in it about the same or more.

Why do you stay in hotels or other paid lodging less?

A total of 168 people responded to this question, and of them, 59 percent said rising costs were the main reason they stay in hotels less. Other reasons cited included medical issues that preclude them from traveling, not feeling safe in larger cities such as Portland, hotels and rentals not allowing pets, and the declining quality of lodging options, including cleanliness and bed bugs.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE.

What if MDI lost its main egress like Jackson Hole did? (Is Thompson Island causeway vulnerable?)

In the most economically unequal county in the country, a closed road was a signal of a much bigger problem.

BY BRIGIT MANDER in Slate, July 4, 2024

In the little town of Wilson, Wyoming, at the base of Teton Pass, there are a few hours every morning and evening which offer an unrivaled exercise in reflexes and awareness. The main street, pretty much the only commercial street in town, is also Wyoming Highway 22, a two-lane scenic byway which connects Wyoming’s Jackson Hole valley to the much more expansive stretches of Idaho. Most days, thousands of cars stream down over the perilous, steep and winding Teton Pass—every morning and back again in the evening, driven by harried, often inattentive commuters who may live as close as 20 or as far as 90 miles away. They reluctantly slam on the brakes to meet the 25-mph speed limit in Wilson, besieged by signs about pedestrians and also moose crossing the road. Which means: Wilson sure looks cute, but much of the year, it feels like trying to traverse an exit off the Long Island Expressway into Queens on a Friday afternoon.

That all stopped abruptly on June 8, when Highway 22 suffered a “catastrophic failure.” The failure was indeed so catastrophic that traffic over the pass stopped completely, in both directions.

On a curve high up the pass, the pavement began to crack. A separate mudslide a few miles lower closed the road to traffic, which ended up being a good thing, actually, because then the crack site collapsed in a landslide, obliterating the road. It’s always hard in these situations to know for sure, but most surmised that the disasters happened because unusually warm temperatures from climate change led to rapid snowmelt and unstable mountainsides.

This rural mishap made national news. It was picked up by the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times, CNN and Fox News. It went international on the AP newswire. But Wilson was quiet. Slightly malevolently, as a Wilson resident in a minuscule rented cabin, I rejoiced: Perhaps Teton County, Wyoming, would have finally have to deal with the utterly foreseeable, wholly ignored, miserable socioeconomic problems of its creation.

If you have never been to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, let me pause here to explain a bit about it. The town of Jackson is an incredibly special place thanks to its proximity to the Teton Range, the Gros Ventre Range, Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks, and its incredibly abundant wild animals. Much of this beauty and wildness exists today because of ardent conservation and anti-development efforts which began in the early 1900s, or barely more than a decade after the first white people claimed land in Jackson Hole (after the Shoshone people had been killed or chased away).

Bitter fights over what and how much to conserve ebbed and flowed over the decades, but today, significant conservation wins are why it’s still so beautiful, and why it draws millions of visitors from all over the globe—who mostly come from places where the wildness and beauty have long been destroyed by human development. Teton County is only part of the preserved ecosystem lands, but as it stands, 97 percent of the county is public land, and about 3 percent is developable.

READ MORE …