Wells approves mobile home rent moratorium, sends proposed ordinance to voters in November

Wells Town Council Sets Temporary Moratoriums on Mobile‑Home Rents, Data Centers and Short‑Term Rentals

Wells, Maine – In a joint hearing held at the town hall last Tuesday, the Wells Board of Selectmen and the Planning Board approved a 60‑day pause on increases to mobile‑home lot rents and agreed to send a 180‑day moratorium on large data centers to the November ballot. The meeting also addressed proposed limits on short‑term rentals, but officials decided to table that debate for future consideration.

Protecting Mobile‑Home Residents

The council’s first order of business was a temporary halt to all increases in the monthly lot rent for residents of the town’s mobile‑home parks. The moratorium will take effect immediately and run until October 31, after which the town will decide whether to extend it through the election cycle. Town Manager Michael Pardue explained that the temporary measure gives voters time to weigh a proposed ordinance that would cap annual rent hikes to a rate linked to inflation and set up an appeals process for owners who wish to raise rents beyond that ceiling.

The decision came amid growing concern among residents that mobile‑home owners—many of whom are owned by out‑of‑state corporations—have pushed rates higher in recent years. “We’re gonna lose everything,” said Doreen Taylor, a retiree who lives in the Highpine Mobile Home Court. “It’s getting out of our reach.” Taylor, like many others, cited unsafe drinking water at Blueberry Ridge Mobile Home Park and rising rents as key motivators for supporting the moratorium.

Not everyone in the park community agreed with a rent cap. Justin Batchelder, who runs Beach Acres Campground, cautioned that maintenance costs are climbing and that owners need the ability to adjust rates. “I’d like to be able to raise my rates without showing you our finances. It’s really none of your business,” he said.

After the moratorium was approved, a wave of applause and cheers erupted from the crowd in the town hall, with residents hugging each other in what the council described as a celebratory moment.

Data Center Restrictions

The Board also moved to place a 180‑day moratorium on the construction of data centers larger than 100,000 square feet. The moratorium would be submitted to voters on the November 3 ballot. The decision was unanimous, and a lone resident—who declined to identify himself—encouraged the town to put the moratorium to a vote.

“Only one resident, who did not give their name, spoke during the public hearing to encourage the town to send the moratorium to the ballot,” one council member reported. The board’s recommendation reflects a growing statewide trend of municipalities questioning the environmental and infrastructural impact of large data centers.

Short‑Term Rental Debate on Hold

A third topic on the agenda was the proposal for a short‑term rental overlay district that would regulate rentals listed on Airbnb, Vrbo and similar platforms. While some townspeople were open to restrictions, many felt the current draft language was either too vague or too hard to enforce. “We’re making it very difficult to know what you can and can’t do in different parts of this town,” a woman in the audience told the council.

Planning Board member Joshua Lagasse echoed that sentiment. “This needs more time,” he said. “I really do think we should be developing what those restrictions are going to be.” Both the Planning Board and the Board of Selectmen voted to table the short‑term rental discussion, with the suggestion that it be revisited at the next election in June.

Looking Ahead

With the emergency moratorium on mobile‑home rents now in place, voters will have a clear option on the November ballot: approve or reject a long‑term rent‑stabilization ordinance. The data center moratorium will also appear on the same ballot, giving residents the chance to decide whether to impose limits on large tech facilities. Short‑term rental regulations remain a topic for future deliberation.

The meeting concluded with residents and officials expressing a sense of cautious optimism that the town’s actions could bring stability to a community long‑struggled by rising housing costs, while also addressing the town’s growing concerns about industrial and tourism‑related developments.