WATERVILLE — Construction of a 20-unit housing complex off Drummond Avenue will start later this year if all goes according to plan.
The project, S.D.G. Estates, will include five buildings with four, two-bedroom units in each, on less than an acre. Eight parking spaces will be built in front of each building.
The Planning Board on Tuesday voted unanimously to approve preliminary and final plans for the complex.
Jeff Allen, an engineer with A.E. Hodsdon Consulting Engineers, which is representing the project and landowner Dennis Brockway, described the site as near the Fairfield town line. He said it is across Drummond Avenue from Wolfe and Montcalm streets, and located in between where those streets lie.
Allen said the design of the buildings is not finalized.
Planning Board Chairman David Johnson asked if the work would start within a year, and when the project would be completed. Allen said it will take a few months to do water, sewer and underground electricity before construction starts and asked for a 1-year extension in case it is needed for full completion. The board granted the request as part of its approval.
The site abuts the Waterville Elks Lodge property located to the west, off Industrial Road. Peter Reny, representing the Elks, said the center of the housing complex site is about 1,550 feet from the lodge. He asked Allen if more development would be added to the site in the near future.
“There is room for additional development on the property,” Allen said, “but at this point I haven’t heard any discussion about doing that, mainly because there’s a stream there and so anything that we would do beyond this would require crossing the stream and it also would require state and potentially federal permitting.”
Industrial Road dead-ends at the Elks lodge property. Reny asked where, if Industrial Road were to be extended, it would be continued from where it is now.
Allen said it would connect with another road and not go through the Elks’ property. To a question from Reny about whether that would enable the housing to be built closer to the Elks property, Allen said: “No. There are several properties in between.”
Chris Stevens of the Elks lodge asked further questions about a possible road extension. Johnson recommended he speak with City Manager Nicholas Cloutier about that. City Planner Ann Beverage said economic development specialists have been talking about extending Industrial Road from Waterville to Fairfield for at least 20 years.
