Comment on Portland council approves Maine Med’s zoning request for acquired properties

The Portland City Council voted 7-0 – with Mayor Ethan Strimling and Council Spencer Thibodeau absent – to grant an overlay zone to Maine Medical Center that would allow it to acquire neighborhood properties in the future and convert them to medical offices. Councilor David Brenerman said the zoning is the best way to plan for the future needs of Maine Med, even if the overlay zone includes properties that are not owned by the hospital. “I think it’s better to identify the possible sites now than to have the plan amended in the future,” Brenerman said.