Waterville Planning Board to consider additions to school, water district building

WATERVILLE — The Planning Board is expected to consider plans Tuesday night for a classroom addition to George J. Mitchell School and a new business and operations center for the Kennebec Water District.

The meeting is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. at The Elm at 21 College Ave. Those wanting to view or take part virtually may do so through a link on the city’s website.

School officials in Waterville are scheduled to request final plan review for a 5,000-square-foot classroom addition to the Mitchell School at 58 Drummond Ave. The board is to consider the request under the city’s site plan review ordinance.

The Planning Board in October 2021 got a first look at the proposed kindergarten classroom addition, which would provide more space for children and staff members.

Officials with the Waterville Public Schools initially budgeted $1.2 million for the elementary school project, to be funded using federal COVID-19 relief aid, but that cost is expected to increase. The expansion plan calls for renovating classrooms and converting them into six classrooms that would be larger than the current rooms.

The plan also calls for adding 2 1/2 classrooms to the front of the school that would abut the connector hallway between the Mitchell School and Educare Central Maine, an early childhood education program that opened about 10 years ago. That connector was built when Educare was constructed so Educare students could have easier access to resources and facilities, such as the library, at the Mitchell School.

In other matters, the Kennebec Water District is slated to request preliminary and final plan review for a business and operations center at 131 Drummond Ave. District officials announced in May 2021 they were looking to build an $11.5 million, 21,000-square-foot business office and operations complex on Drummond Avenue this year and move into the facility in 2023.

KWD bought 15 1/2 acres at the site for the complex, which would replace the facility at 6 Cool St. and part of district operations on South Street. The project cost includes the property purchase and hiring site development consultants.

The goal is to serve the district’s needs now and well into the future, and to better maintain the water system and its equipment and materials, Roger Crouse, the district’s general manager, said last year.

Kennebec Water District supplies water from China Lake to about 9,000 residential and commercial customers in Waterville, Winslow, Fairfield, Benton and parts of Vassalboro, through about 172 miles of pipe. The town of Oakland also buys water wholesale from the district.

The Planning Board is also scheduled Tuesday to discuss a request by the Waterville City Council to recommend whether stadium lighting should be installed at Drummond Field on Western Avenue.