Trenton Roadside Cleanup Set
Apr 08, 2025
The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by The Witham Family Hotels Charitable Fund.
TRENTON—The Trenton Select Board kept up its efficiency record, Tuesday night, with a speedy ten-minute meeting that held multiple pieces of news within it, including a housing report filled with data about the MDI region.
The select board members received a PDF from the MDI Housing Solutions Initiative, part of the collaborative planning of MDI and Acadia League of Towns, which has just received a 2025 housing opportunities program grant from the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development. The report was created by RKG Associates.
“There is a clear need for additional housing in order to support existing residents and businesses throughout the MDI region and no single community can shoulder the entire demand for units,” the report reads.
The initiative is a project of The Musson Group and Island Housing Trust and includes support from the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD), Housing Opportunity Program (HOP).
As the town sited between Mount Desert Island and the rest of Hancock County and beyond, Trenton is part of that need and also a thoroughfare for both commuting workers and vacationers.
According to the report, “Historically, price points on the island notably exceed off island prices, but in recent years prices have converged as more households compete for ownership units in Ellsworth, Trenton, and Lamoine.”
For the sales prices between 2019-2024, the median home in Ellsworth is $296,000, while the median home in Mount Desert is $749,500, and Bar Harbor is $555,000. Trenton is $418,000 and Tremont’s is $500 more than that. Southwest Harbor’s median home price is $500,000. Lamoine is the second lowest across seven towns at $385,500.
“As the number of sales slowed and prices reach their peak on the islands, sales volumes continued in Ellsworth, Trenton and Lamoine—coupled with greater price growth as well,” the report explains. It adds that most of the new borrowers for home mortgages in the region earn over $100,000 each year, and the highest share of 40% earns more than $150,000.
“For many communities in the MDI region, the median home value is unaffordable to the majority of existing residents, meaning for most renters, homeownership (is) unattainable in the current market,” the report states.
Median sale prices for homes throughout Hancock County are higher on average than in the Bangor metro area. At the same time, homes are bought and moved into below two months (average) as opposed to 12 months prior to 2022. That indicates limited availability and a strong demand for single family homes.
Multiple factors influence housing in the region. Remote work allows people to live in rural, beautiful places, seasonal homes and short-term rentals reduce year-round homes in those same buildings, an influx of higher-income people as well as seasonal residents compete with those already in the workforce for what homes exist when there is also increasing construction costs for new buildings.
The study sees several overall trends in the region including aging households, higher income households, older individuals living alone in larger homes, and off island housing prices starting to rise.
“Most year-round MDI region residents fall within the 50 to 70 age group, reflecting a trend of long-term residents who have lived in the region for several decades, as indicated by decennial Census data. This aging demographic aligns with broader state and regional trends in Maine,” the report states. “There is a growing older adult population living alone in homes that are 3- or more bedrooms— signaling potential demand for downsizing options.”
It also shows a growth in owner households in the 25-34 age group as well as the 65 and older age group.
Rental costs are increasing in Hancock County and the overall vacancy rate is at 1.8%, down from approximate 4% in 2014. The MDI region’s rental vacancy rate is at 6.17%, similar to the rate of 2010.
The report believes there’s a need for more housing for the residents and businesses that are currently in the reason and that it must be a collaborative, multi-community effort to “shoulder” the need for homes—be they single-family homes or multi-family homes.
At the same time, the report believes that monthly rental costs will continue to increase. Most renters do not earn the median income. The region is becoming increasingly unaffordable, it states.
The material will likely be part of the League of Towns’ Elected Officials meeting set for April 16 at the Neighborhood House in Northeast Harbor.
That meeting is part two of a consensus-building and goal-setting exercise focused on a regional approach toward the housing, economic development, and transportation needs in towns within the MDI and Acadia regions. The first part occurred last fall.
At the Trenton Select Board meeting, Judith Sproule said she was interested in going to attend the regular meetings as a member of the public.
LISA WINGER AND THE GATEWAY LIQUOR LICENSE AND MUNICIPAL WASTEHUB
In other business, the select board signed Lisa Winger’s appointment to the planning board, and approved the renewal of the Gateway liquor license. There was no fire department report.
The Municipal Review Committee, which handles the solid waste issues of 115 Maine cities has become Municipal WasteHub. Its website announced the news this April and says, “Our new name reflects our commitment to modernization, transparency, and sustainable waste solutions.”
OTHER TRENTON NEWS
2025 Earth Day Roadside Clean-up
The 2025 Earth Day Roadside Clean-up will be April 26 from 8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Sign up at the Trenton Town Office or call Friends of Acadia at 288-3340.
ANNUAL TOWN MEETING
Town Meeting begins with Elections from 2 – 6 p.m. on Monday, May 19, 2025
at the Town Office, 59 Oak Point Road.
Open Town Meeting will continue on May 20, 2025 at 6 p.m. at
the Trenton Elementary School Gymnasium.
NEW OFFICE HOURS EFFECTIVE May 5, 2025
The Town Office will be open 8am to 5pm Monday through Thursdays and Closed Fridays.
Planning Board has openings
There are two openings on the Trenton Planning Board. If interested, please fill out a volunteer interest form and leave it at the Town Office.
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