FARMINGTON — A plan to convert two motels on Wilton Road into affordable housing has fallen through.
Western Maine Community Action in Wilton, which has been going through MaineHousing, planned to convert the Mt. Blue Motel and the Colonial Valley Motel into affordable housing, along with three short-term housing bedrooms.
However, the property owner began doing some work that is prohibited under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development environmental review rules, causing MaineHousing to withdraw, Western Maine Community Action Executive Director James Trundy wrote in an email Monday.
MaineHousing Authority requires that the applicant and all other participants in the development process not do certain work under the federal Housing and Urban Development environmental review rules, Trundy said. Prohibited actions include excavation or earth removal; utility or infrastructure construction or installation such as sewer, water, electric or gas lines, drainage, stormwater management facilities, roads or sidewalks; paving; and grading, filling or clearing.
“Unfortunately, the owner of the property did in fact do some of these things,” Trundy wrote. “MaineHousing withdrew the project. WMCA was extremely disappointed as we were hoping to create affordable housing for the Franklin County area. MaineHousing indicated that the funding would likely be released for new projects through a new (requests for proposals. WMCA has other projects that we would seek funding to complete.”
Rick Collins, owner of the motels, was not immediately available for comment on Wednesday.
The Maine Housing Authority announced in August 2022 that it awarded the nonprofit agency about $7 million from the federal government to redevelop the motels into 31 affordable apartments and shelter spaces. The apartments were to include efficiency and one-, two- and three-bedroom units. The money would have come from the American Rescue Plan Act. The state was allocated $13.3 million by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development as part of the law passed in 2021.
The two motels remain open for business.
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