FARMINGTON — Developers are still working to address concerns that a planned apartment building on Fairbanks Road could contaminate the town’s drinking water, four months after Planning Board members raised the issue.

In July, the Planning Board gave conditional approval to the project, which must address runoff concerns before it can move forward.

“The water issue still hasn’t been resolved,” Town Manager Richard Davis said.

A water district employee said that the results of a definitive engineering study are expected soon.

Brookside Village, a $4 million project, was planned by developers Byron Davis and Bill Marceau, doing business as Farmington Land LLC, to address a lack of housing for the elderly. Prospective residents would have be at least 62 years old or disabled, and would need a low income to qualify.

The concern is that the 32-unit building, planned for a site a mile north of downtown Farmington, could create more contaminated runoff in the town’s wellhead protection zone.

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The developers have indicated that they would use a wet pond to retain runoff and capture some of the pollutants before it reaches the town’s well in the Sandy River.

The town and the water district are trying to determine whether the wet pond will be good enough.

“The engineers are determining whether the surface runoff could possibly pollute our wells,” said Jane Woodman, of Farmington Village Corporation, the water district.

Woodman said that the results of a study being conducted by engineering firm Tata and Howard should be available in early September.

In March, town voters approved an application for a $500,000 federal grant to extend a road and public utilities to the site.

Paperwork related to the grant came before the Farmington Board of Selectmen earlier this month, but it was delayed because two of the four members present recused themselves from the issue.

Ryan Morgan, an electrician, and Andrew Hufnagel, a general contractor, both said that they intend to bid on projects related to the development.

The Planning Board is scheduled to review the engineering study results during its regularly scheduled September 10 meeting.


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