Category: City News

A Lot of Digging Downtown

A worker hauls rebar for TPD Construction Co. housing on Main Street, and an excavator loads a dump truck at ReinCorp’s housing project on School Street. Photos: Lee Burnett Downtown Sanford is ringing with the sounds of heavy construction these days. ReinCorp recently broke ground on a 30-unit building at the corner of School and Bodwell streets, across from Central Park. Across the way, at a vacant lot between Sunset Towers and the former Verizon store, workers for TPD Construction…

Sanford Building Boom Still Not Enough

Photo: Government of Prince Edward Island By Lee Burnett, Submissions Editor Even as new homes are increasing faster than ever, city leaders are looking at ways to boost production. Two forums held last week addressed the housing shortage, particularly the housing that people of average means can afford. The City Council held a housing workshop Sept. 24 that highlighted the gravity and complexity of the crisis. The next evening, the Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee heard similar presentations and also considered…

Questions, Praise for RAISE Road Projects

A federal grant will finance major infrastructure projects in Sanford over the next three years. By Lee Burnett, Submissions Editor The upcoming massive reconstruction of downtown streets through a federal grant generated all sorts of comments at a public hearing last week. Among the topics of concern were pedestrian safety near the Maine Health campus, adequacy of plug-in outlets for food trucks along Number One Pond, bicycle connectivity, disruptions to downtown businesses and on-street parking at the dog park. The…

Scammers Targeting Section 8 Applicants

Village View Apartments in Springvale Photo: Sanford Housing Authority By Zendelle Bouchard The Sanford Housing Authority wants to make the public aware of a scam targeting housing assistance applicants that has been circulating on social media channels including Facebook, Instagram and Tik Tok. The scam purports to expedite applications or reduce waiting list times for those seeking Housing Choice Vouchers (HCV), formerly known as Section 8. The scam ads direct applicants to govassistance(dot)org, which is not a legitimate website. The…