FARMINGTON — Selectmen will hold a second public hearing concerning applications for Community Development Block Grants for both the 82 High Street Housing renovation project and the Shared Use Kitchen Project at the Fairbanks School when they meet at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the town office.

Public hearings were previously held as part of the CDBG grant application for a $250,000 housing assistance program grant for 82 High Street and $50,000 for equipment for the proposed Fairbanks School Neighborhood Association shared kitchen.

As part of the process, two hearings have to be held, said Code Enforcement Officer Steve Kaiser. One was held during the application period and this hearing is part of the second phase of the grant process, he said.

An assessment of the 20-year-old mobile homes in the housing community known as 82 High Street has shown solid structures but they need rehabilitation. The grant would cover repair and upgrade of things like roofs, doors, windows and heating systems.

The work would make the units more energy efficient and up to code, Kaiser said previously. It is cost- prohibitive to replace the mobile homes and still keep it affordable housing. The assessment found them worth repairing.

The 82 High Street board of directors and Western Maine Community Action are working with the town to apply for the grant with the town acting as administrator of the CDBG grants.

The Fairbanks School Neighborhood Association intends to create a kitchen space available for local produce growers and farmers to prepare their food products.

Working in conjunction with the Good Shepherd Food-Bank and with help from the town in applying for a Community Development Block Grant, the kitchen will also contain blast freezers to prepare frozen foods for local food banks. It’s a pilot project for the state, Mary Frank from the Association’s kitchen committee previously said.

Tuesday’s hearings are held for those in the public who wish to make comments but missed the first meeting, Kaiser said.

In other business, the board will also hear a report from Assessor Mark Caldwell on property tax assessments for road frontage.

The fairness of assessing road frontage on some properties and not others was raised by a taxpayer last month causing the board to seek further study.

They asked Caldwell to consider, philosophically, whether to apply or not apply assessment to road frontage and what affect that could have in a potential change of the practice.

abryant@sunjournal.com

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