WILTON — Planning Board members approved initial plans to build 10 apartments in the Bass Building along Main Street, after a public hearing Thursday at the Town Office.

The apartments will be in the fourth floor of the building, which previously had only leased commercial space on the lower floors to a restaurant, nonprofits organizations and other business.

The fourth floor is currently empty and developer Joey Cousineau said Thursday that he that he and building owner Randy Cousineau plan to renovate the floor to house 10 one bedroom apartments, including one handicap accessible apartment.

Planning board members had few questions for the developers, with whom they had previously met, and there were no members of the public at the hearing.

The initial plans for the building call for tenants having parking space near the building, and employees from some of the businesses in the building having to park in the public parking between the Bass Building and Wilson Lake.

Board member Keith Shoaps wondered how it would affect the town if the public parking was being used by downtown business employees.

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Chairman Michael Sherrod said that the public parking space is underused except when there are events like the Blueberry Festival and it would have room for more parked cars.

“There’s a lot of capacity there,” he said.

The board unanimously approved their preliminary site plans and will vote after the Cousineaus’ final site plan is finished and presented to the board.

Joey Cousineau said he felt encouraged in the venture after attending an economic forum hosted by the town on preparing property for resale or rent.

Cousineau said the forum speaker, Mike Lyne, of JHR Development, told him that it is good to diversify real estate and also have residential property.

“He said it actually even helped bring in commercial renters,” said Cousineau.

Kaitlin Schroeder — 861-9252 | kschroeder@centralmaine.com


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