Inn or out? Kennebunk to host public hearing on Wedding Cake House project

KENNEBUNK, Maine — The Select Board’s public hearing for a proposed contract zone for the Wedding Cake House may still be weeks away, but a recent meeting provided a preview of what residents might have to say.

Hunt and Katie Edwards, the owners of the historic Summer Street home, are seeking the contract zone in hopes of opening an inn and events venue on their property.

According to the couple, such a revenue stream is needed to help with repairs that need to be made to the structure.

During the Select Board’s Dec. 12 meeting, however, one resident who spoke was having none of that.

Kevin Riley told the board he once spent a lot of money working on his own private property and never felt the need to ask the town to approve a special use for his funding – especially one, he added, that would “annoy my neighbors.”

“Old houses are not for everybody,” Riley said. “If it’s not something you have the stomach, or the wallet, or the patience for, then you shouldn’t own an old home.”

The Select Board decided to hold a public hearing Tuesday, Jan. 9 on the proposed contract zone for the Wedding Cake House. If the Select Board advances the contract zone proposal after the public hearing, voters will have the final say during an upcoming town meeting.

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Wedding Cake House proposal sparks debate

The unanimous vote to hold the public hearing followed a discussion that lasted more than 90 minutes. The Select Board and residents brought up questions and concerns during the discussion and public comment portion of the meeting. Issues raised included noise, traffic and quality-of-life impact if the home becomes an inn and a venue where weddings and other gatherings could be held.

The town’s Planning Board discussed the proposal on numerous occasions throughout this year and held two public hearings on the matter. Last month, by a vote of 4-1, the board agreed to forward the proposal to the Select Board for its consideration to be moved to the ballot. The board also agreed to forward the minority opinion of its lone dissenting member, Richard Smith.

Smith also expressed concerns about the proposal’s potential burden on the neighborhood, which comprises mostly residences. Smith acknowledged the Planning Board’s review of the contract zone application was “thorough and, as always, reasoned,” complete with meetings, public hearings and a site walk.

“However, I felt that the contract zone, even after much tweaking, still created more adverse issues than benefits,” Smith said. “A fairer and less invasive solution should be found.”

Select Board member Lisa Pratt said the Planning Board had done its due diligence, but she also spoke on the separate role she and her colleagues now have.

“We are, for lack of a better word, the vibe of the community,” Pratt said. “The Planning Board is looking at the legality of things, whereas we need to take that extra step in what we want the community to be.”

Attorney Gregory Braun, representing the Edwards couple, said his clients’ proposal was “not thrown together” and was instead the result of a lot of time, effort and discussion.

“The applicant would not be making this request if they did not believe that there was, in fact, a benefit to the town and the community,” Braun said.

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What’s next

If the Select Board advances the contract zone proposal after the Jan. 9 public hearing, then voters will have the final say during an upcoming town meeting, perhaps in June. With a public hearing scheduled for Jan. 9, the proposal would not be on track for the annual town meeting to be held in conjunction with the state primary in early March, according to Town Engineer Chris Osterrieder.

If voters approve the contract zone, the applicants’ hopes to turn the Wedding Cake House into an inn and events venue then would need to go through the town’s site plan review process.

Osterrieder told the Select Board that it could send the application back to the Planning Board if it felt there were “unresolved concerns.” He also said the Select Board could work jointly with the Planning Board to resolve such issues.

While no residents spoke in favor of the proposed contract zone at the Dec. 12 meeting, a few have offered their support on previous occasions. At a public hearing in November, for example, Tony Cohutt, a friend of the Edwardses, spoke of their character and the benefits he predicted their project would have for the community.

Cohutt said events at the Wedding Cake House would draw people from all over the country and the world, and such likely affluent individuals would stay at local hotels, dine at local restaurants, and visit local shops.

“They would not be doing this if they didn’t think it was good for Kennebunk,” Cohutt said.

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This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Kennebunk to host public hearing on Wedding Cake House inn project