WATERVILLE — The site of the former Weathervane restaurant and Lucien’s Car Wash at 470 Kennedy Memorial Drive may become home to a 28,654-square-foot strip mall, if all approvals fall into place.
Marden’s Surplus & Salvage is asking the Planning Board to review a plan for the mall at the board’s meeting Monday night.
The meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. in the third-floor council chamber in The Center, at 93 Main St. downtown.
The Marden’s plan would be reviewed under the city’s site plan review and subdivision review ordinance.
Marden’s co-owner John Marden said in a phone interview Friday that a couple of different businesses are interested in being in the mall, but nothing has been signed yet, so he can not reveal their identities.
“Right now it’s just sitting there vacant,” he said of the lots, adding that he’d like to draw businesses to the city and help expand the tax base.
Marden’s owns both the Weathervane and Lucien’s lots, which are near the northwest corner of the Marden’s store parking lot, right off exit 127 of Interstate 95.
Marden and his brother, Ham, bought the former car wash several years ago, then leased it for about two years to a business that cut wood and trees and sold Christmas trees on the lot.
The Weathervane closed in January, laying off 25 people. It had opened in 1986 and was one of four Weathervanes that closed because of economic conditions, officials from Kittery-based Weathervane Seafoods said at the time.
The Silent Woman restaurant was at the site before it became the Weathervane.
City Planner Ann Beverage was out of the office Friday, but Planning Board Chairman Paul Lussier said the board on Monday will get its first look at the plan for the mall.
“Our job is to help and encourage,” Lussier said. “The city may not have Business Friendly (Community) certification, but I think we are doing just that in the city, not because we’re looking for the designation or to get all the tax revenue we can get. It’s just the right thing to do.”
The board typically does not vote on a preliminary plan but instead asks questions and makes comments and suggestions.
In other matters Monday, the board will consider a final plan by Spectrum Generations Muskie Center to expand its parking lot at 38 Gold St. The project would be reviewed under the site plan review and subdivision ordinance.
Merici Woods LP will request a 1-year extension on a plan to convert the former Mount Merici convent at 172 Western Ave. to 28 apartments for low-income elderly residents.
Jodi Heath will request that 2 Cottage St. be rezoned from Commercial C to Residential C so she can meet the building setback requirements for building a residential garage. Lussier noted that the Planning Board may make only a recommendation on the request, and the decision is up to the City Council.
“Unless there’s something blatantly bad with the request, it will probably be voted to go to the council with our recommendation they do that, but I can’t speak for the board,” Lussier said.
Amy Calder — 861-9247
Twitter: @AmyCalder17
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