Environmental concerns ground $9.3 million Portland Jetport parking lot proposal

File photo / Jim Neuger Portland City Council rejected a proposal that would have added parking at the Portland International Jetport.

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By Tina Fischer

A long-debated proposal to build a temporary parking lot at Portland International Jetport was rejected by the City Council on Monday night, halting a project that had met with organized resistance from local residents for close to two years.

The proposal called for paving and expanding an existing gravel parking lot known as the Toye lot, which is adjacent to the Embassy Suites Hilton hotel on Westbrook Street, to gain 265 spots. The lot would have been a temporary solution until a new garage could be built.

The development parcel included wetlands and woodlands, which abut the Stroudwater neighborhood.

The city purchased 4.5 acres in 2021 for $4.5 million to accommodate additional parking.

Shortage of parking

Parking has been an ongoing issue at Maine’s largest airport, which has had to employ a range of surface lots to accommodate the overflow from existing garages.

The plan had been to add an additional garage to augment the 2,000-plus existing parking spaces. The estimated cost of the build, which would have come from Jetport's unrestricted funds, was $9.3 million.

Residents of the Stroudwater neighborhood have been objecting to the project since it was first proposed, citing damage to wetlands, expected runoff into the Fore River and increased noise, exacerbated by the demolition of a woodland buffer.

The Stroudwater Neighborhood Association sued the city in February to appeal the Portland Planning Board’s January approval of the project.

Backlash

Speakers at Monday night’s City Council meeting said that they did not dispute the need for more parking but wanted to see more sustainable options to an additional surface lot, including expanded bus service to the Jetport and shuttle service to parking at the nearby Maine Mall until the new garage could be built.

Opponents said the project does not align with local land use ordinances, long-term city planning objectives, or the Jetport’s master plan.

Mayor Mark Dion was one of two council members who supported the proposal, calling the airport an “important regional instrument for our economy.”

Ben Grant, an at-large City Council member, said that while he understood the benefit of the project for travelers who drive long distances to the airport, he had to reject the proposal to prioritize his Portland constituents.

Wesley Pelletier, who represents District 2, was one of six City Council members to vote against the project.

“This doesn’t work well for our residents," Pelletier said. "There’s a better and more sustainable way to do this.”

Council member Sarah Michniewicz, who represents District 1, added: “Expanding surface parking lots, adding another urban heat island, is not what we want to do.”

Related matters

City Council did approve construction of a $5.5 million battery energy storage system for the Jetport that is designed to offset electrical loads during peak demand and safeguard against power outages.

The cost of the project will be offset by federal tax credits estimated at $2.1 million, Efficiency Maine Trust incentives expected to total $900,000, and electricity cost savings, which are projected to result in a payback for the project in 8.6 years.