New high-end housing eyed for Robbinston

A high end housing development is being planned for a 1,000-acre peninsula on Howard Lake in Robbinston. Merriwood Sustainable Community is described on its website as "just beyond the edge of the paved world -- a vibrant and comfortable oasis nestled within the splendor of the Maine wilderness. Completely off the beaten path and remote enough to be secure, Merriwood is within easy reach of all of the benefits of civilization."
The founder and partner behind Merriwood Sustainable Community is Randall Solomon, a specialist in sustainability who has worked with local governments over a 20 year career in the field. Living in New Jersey, he was in the midst of Hurricane Sandy when it hit where he lived in 2012. Drinking water and other supplies were delivered by trucks. Food was scarce, and he could not help but wonder what would happen if the trucks were to stop. "I was concerned about the future, for me and my family," he says, so he started looking for a community that would have local resilience with food sources, energy, drinking water and more and that could weather the impacts of climate change.
Solomon's search left him empty handed, so he decided to create one. He looked all over New England and Canada and finally landed at Howard Lake in Robbinston. Weather that isn't too harsh, pristine lakefront, land for agriculture and access to thriving nearby communities such as Eastport and St. Andrews were all draws. In addition, Solomon says, "The people we bought from were in the process of carving it [the property] up into two acre lots, and we're not doing that." Instead, Merriwood will sell 44 lots that are configured to protect the shoreline and the quality of the lake's water, he explains.
About 80% of the land will be in a conservation easement, Solomon notes. Along with the 44 houses will be a lodge, farmer manager's house and a guest house for homeowners who have overflow, along with a barn and outbuildings. Solomon says that the only building that will be visible from the lake's water is the lodge.
The development should create some short and long term employment, says Solomon. He anticipates employment opportunities with the construction phase and with maintenance, repair, grounds keeping, farming, woods management, road plowing, house cleaning and more.
If the development is approved, homeownership at Merriwood would run from $1.6 million to over $2 million at the start, with $1 million of the cost described as a "buy in" to the community, which would include a homeowners association. There would be three different house models to choose from, with sizes from 1,000 to 3,000 square feet. Solomon anticipates that the community will primarily be for summer residents from any geographic area but most likely from the northeast and possibly from California and Florida. He sees a market for "people like me who aren't going to go homesteading but like that lifestyle, particularly in summer."
Despite the website's language about the remote and secure nature of the location, Solomon stresses that Merriwood would in no way be a community for "preppers" or people who want a survivalist way of life. A marketing firm is handling outreach to prospective buyers.
The Robbinston Planning Board briefly discussed the proposal at its August meeting, but there was not that much information presented at that point, except for a rough sketch and the number and size of the house lots. Solomon says, "I don't think they saw any red flags." Board member Chad Allen notes that some concerns were raised by residents, including that proper avenues are followed for permitting the subdivision. There were also concerns expressed from those who have camps on the lake, and he believes residents may be split 50/50 about whether or not they favor the proposal. "When we have another meeting we'll hear more concerns then," he adds.
Allen notes that the tax revenue for the town "would be phenomenal" and that the planning board will be having further public meetings once a formal plan has been submitted to the board. According to Solomon, when complete, the development should add upward of $600,000 in property taxes to the town's annual budget.
Robbinston Code Enforcement Officer James Slowe says that the plan will have to meet the state guidelines for subdivisions and that the town doesn't have any additional ordinances governing subdivisions. The state guidelines that the planning board will follow include review of issues ranging from road and lot design, water supply, landscaping, soil erosion, traffic congestion, sewage and solid waste disposal, effect on scenic and natural beauty of the area and financial capacity of the developer. The planning board will need to hold several meetings to consider the plans and also will need to grant a building permit for each house that is built, he notes. In addition, there will also be a review by the Department of Environmental Protection and other agencies for necessary state permits for the subdivision.
In addition to the required public hearings, Solomon also hopes to hold a public open house of sorts for local residents to learn about the project. However, because of the pandemic, he's not sure when that will happen. Solomon hopes to start residential construction this summer, with the Bangor based Maine Construction Group the partner builder. "It depends on how quickly the reservations come in and the permitting process," he adds.
Information about the development is available at www.merriwoodcommunity.com.