Kingfield town office stands at 38 School St on July 6. (Quentin Blais/Staff Writer)

Residents of Kingfield overwhelmingly approved a moratorium that sought to pause development on “transient overnight recreational developments” during a special town meeting July 13.

Around 50 people filled Webster Hall at the Town Office to vote on the ordinance. Only three people voted against the move.

At a public hearing on July 6, residents and Select Board members expressed concern about the wording of the moratorium, saying that it was too vague and that it ran the risk of restricting existing short-term rentals such as Airbnbs.

Before the special town meeting Monday, Kingfield’s Town Office posted on Facebook saying that the town’s attorney had reviewed the ordinance and had determined that it “does not affect regular Airbnbs, bed and breakfasts, and other existing short-term rentals in Kingfield.  They are not covered within the ordinance and can keep operating normally.”

The moratorium was presented to the town in May by residents living on Lower Iron Bridge Road. By passing the ordinance, the group hoped to freeze the development of a campsite proposed by Bowdoin College, which would be built on a 20.7-acre plot on the same road. The neighborhood is only accessible by a one-lane bridge off Route 27. Residents were concerned about an increased risk of accidents brought on by the college’s site.

Bowdoin withdrew its application to develop the site in May, saying they would wait six months before reapplying to allow the town to assess its outdated ordinances. Updated ordinances will need to coincide with the town’s new comprehensive plan.

Ahead of the vote, the room discussed the measure. Town Manager Leeanna Targett read portions of the town attorney’s note on the moratorium. In it, the attorney said that, if passed, the town will have its 180-day freeze, but it should take that time to clearly define transient overnight recreational developments.