WATERVILLE — The Waterville Planning Board on Monday night voted 7-0 to approve revisions to a previously approved plan to redevelop the former Seton Hospital on Chase Avenue into apartments.
About a dozen people turned out for the meeting, held in the Chace Community Forum at the Bill & Joan Alfond Main Street Commons at 150 Main St. downtown.
Kevin Mattson, of Waterville Redevelopment Co., in 2013 purchased the 150,000-square-foot Seton building, which in 1997 had become part of MaineGeneral Medical Center. The Planning Board in 2016 approved a plan for 55 apartments, 23,000 square feet of professional office space and 35,000 square feet of warehouse space, according to design engineer Stephen Roberge of SJR Engineering Inc., of Monmouth,
Roberge told the board Monday that the revised plan calls for 68 apartments, 18,412 square feet of professional office space and 33,312 square feet of warehouse and storage space in the building.
Mattson said the plan is to develop 55 one-bedroom and 13 two-bedroom units.
The building has been divided into two ownership units — one residential and one commercial, so as to secure funding on the residential-only side of the building.
Roberge said the developer is trying to make the tower portion of the building into residential space and the remaining part, into office space and storage. The tower has eight stories and only the bottom six are targeted for residential apartments, he said.
Mattson said the other two stories would be used for mechanical purposes. The apartments would be market-based rentals, he said.
He said he expects the project will start in three or four months and construction would take about 13 months.
Planning Board member Alek Fortier asked what kind of warehouse storage space would be in the building.
Mattson said the main tower would have residential storage and the remainder would be rented out for commercial storage.
“This is really low impact, long-term storage,” he said.
In other matters Monday, the board voted 7-0 to recommend to the City Council a request from Philip Roy and John Goodine to rezone 257 and 259 Main St. and 11 Hillside Ave. from Residential-C to Commercial-A.
Roy, owner of Grondin Certified Cleaners at 259 Main St., said he and Goodine, who owns Elm City Photo at 257 Main, had discussed the fact that it is unusual their properties are zoned residential when for 70 years, commercial operations have been on those sites. They have no plans for the properties now, but are trying to envision uses for the future, according to Roy.
“So, as new businesses look around town to find appropriate locations, we felt that if we at least rezoned to reflect what actually happens on site, possibly people will see it as options,” Roy said.
The Planning Board may only recommend zone changes; the council makes the final decision on zoning.
Also Monday, the board voted 7-0 to approve a request by Frederick “Rick” Fischer to rezone 315 Main St. from Commercial-B and Residential-B to Commercial-A. Fisher owns Fischer Financial Services at 315 Main St., at the corner of High and Main streets. He also owns an adjoining vacant lot on Main Street where a house was razed. He said the area is the most logical place to develop right now.
“I have no plans — no one interested in the lot at this point,” he said of the residential space.
Besides Fortier, board members who voted included Chairman Paul Lussier and Bruce White, Scott Fortin, Chris Rancourt, Tom Nale and Mark Champagne.
Amy Calder — 861-9247
Twitter: @AmyCalder17
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Comments are no longer available on this story