WATERVILLE — City councilors on Wednesday will consider approving a Planning Board recommendation to rezone property on West River Road to allow a bowling alley to be transformed into a church.
Councilors also will consider approving proposed amendments to the city’s comprehensive plan at the meeting slated for 6:45 p.m. in the council chambers at The Center downtown.
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The meeting will be held Wednesday this week instead of the council’s regular meeting day, Tuesday, because elections are being held Tuesday.
The property being considered for rezoning is 155 West River Road, which is home to Sparetime Recreation, a bowling alley owned by Andy Couture. Couture plans to sell the property Jan. 5 to Centerpoint Community Church, now located at 60 West River Road.
The Planning Board on Oct. 27 voted to recommend to councilors that they rezone the bowling alley property from commercial to residential to allow for conversion to a church, cafe, and centers for teens and younger children that would also house about 40 church staff members.
The church would lease the space to the bowling alley until April, when the church plans to begin renovations to the building. Temple Academy, the church’s school, would remain where it is at 60 West River Road.
In other matters Wednesday, the council will hold a public hearing at 6:45 p.m. to discuss a $4.5 million loan the city proposed to get to pay for a $305,000 property revaluation, part of a $4.6 million construction project for the main runway at the Robert LaFleur Municipal Airport, road work and public works equipment.
After the public hearing, the council will consider voting to declare the city’s intent to borrow the money. In a future vote, they will decide whether to borrow the money and, as part of that vote, decide if items such as the road work and public works equipment would be included in the bond, according to City Manager Michael Roy.
The revaluation and runway projects are the only projects that have been approved, he said. The federal government will pay 90 percent of the cost of the runway construction project, the city would pay five percent, and the state also five percent, Roy said. With engineering costs, the total project cost is $4.8 million, he said.
Councilors Wednesday also will consider approving amendments to the city’s comprehensive plan and consider rezoning 20 Industrial Road to allow for an industrial use there.
The major proposed change to the plan is in the chapter on natural resources, according to City Planner Ann Beverage.
“It has new maps that were provided by KVCOG (Kennebec Valley Council of Governments),” Beverage said Monday. “They’re based on information from the (state) Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.”
The Industrial Road property, now zoned commercial, is the site of the former Huhtamaki machine shop. The Planning Board on Oct. 27 voted to recommend the council rezone the property at the request of Charlie Craig, representing Retlew Investment LLC. Craig has not revealed the specific business that would move into the spot.
Amy Calder — 861-9247
Twitter: @AmyCalder17
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