ROCKLAND — Through teary eyes, Harmony Fuller accepted the keys to her new front door Sunday, June 12, in front of volunteers from several area construction crews. As soon as the kitchen appliances arrive and the sprinkler system is connected, Fuller and her five-year-old son, Maddox Young, will make the house into a home.

The house,  at 30 Brewster Street in Rockland, is the 29th project completed by Midcoast Maine Habitat for Humanity; project number 30, located on an adjacent lot, will open soon curtesy of a Home Builders Blitz volunteer campaign.

Fuller’s house is the first Midcoast Habitat residence to be completed following the City of Rockland’s guidelines requiring entire-house sprinkler systems for newly constructed houses.

In order to pay for the sprinkler installation, Midcoast Habitat For Humanity Executive Director Tia Anderson applied to the Rockland community development program for funds designated for health and safety. The grant has no stipulations attached, other than explaining why the funding is needed, according to Anderson.

“We just had to make the case that it’s a health and safety issue, which it was because the code enforcement and the fire department were telling me I had to do it,” Anderson said.

Though the system was installed by Sunday afternoon, the code enforcement officer and fire chief still need to grant final approval before it is connected.

During Sunday’s ceremony, Anderson told the audience that Midcoast Habitat has “grown tremendously over the past six years, and this is just the start of a new era for us.

“We’re going to do as much as we can to help people in need of a home,” she said.

Mike Amoroso has worked with Habitat for Humanity in another state for about ten years. He told the audience that he’s been around many intense building projects in that state.

“I can honestly say that what we’ve experienced this past week is one of the most seamless projects that I’ve been a part of,” Amoroso said as he credited preplanning by Midcoast Habitat’s small team.

The builders for Rockland’s two newest one-story, three-bedroom, two bathroom Brewster Street houses were Phi Homes Design and Cold Mountain Builders.

“For two builders that are in a pretty competitive building environment in this industry right now to be able to come together and work cooperatively together out on the same job site speaks a lot about the people who are a part of these organizations,” he said. 

Sarah Thompson can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com.