Arundel aims to become seasonal destination with cottage project

The small York County town sees promise in a 259-unit development that expands its tax base while the homeowners use minimal public services.

By Edward D. Murphy  

 Staff Writer 

emurphy@pressherald.com | 207-791-6465

Joe Paolini, the owner and developer of Cape Arundel Cottage Preserve, shows off the model home in his project. He says there’s a burgeoning market for limited-occupancy vacation homes like the ones he’s building in York County.  

Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Staff Photographer

 

ARUNDEL — For years, Route 1 in Arundel has been an outlier between its more developed neighbors – Biddeford to the north and Kennebunk to the south.

There’s a gas station, a couple of used car lots, a flea market and a few car repair shops. Otherwise, it’s a tree-lined street where the speed limit jumps to 50 mph, allowing people to pass through quickly on the way to Biddeford’s shopping centers or Kennebunk’s classic Main Street.

Cape Arundel Cottage Preserve intends to change that.

The development of 259 cottages is expected to bring in hundreds of part-time residents to the town, which is mostly rural and residential, and has a year-round population of about 4,000. Town officials see such promise in the complex – and about $3,700 in property taxes from each unit – that they granted a tax break to help launch it and adopted new zoning to ensure the homes are used only eight months out of the year. The timing of the season – from May 1 to the end of the year – means minimal impact on town services, including no kids for local schools.

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additional link:
http://www.capearundelcottages.com/