The City Council has approved a request for proposals to redevelop Saccarappa Park, clearing the way for the city to seek bids to redevelop the property.
At its meeting on Monday night, the council voted 7-0 to approve the request for proposals developed by the administration that seeks proposals for development of up to 60 percent of the 1.34-acre parcel. The remaining 40 percent of the land would be reserved as public open space along the river.
Besides specifying that at least 40 percent of the land be preserved as open space, the city’s proposal request also specifies that views of the river from Main Street be maintained as much as possible.
The request for proposals will be sent out by the city on May 1 and the final proposals will be due from developers on July 1. The city expects to designate the winning proposal on Aug. 1.
Councilor Gary Groves said that while he approved of soliciting proposals to develop the park, he wanted to see the city take steps to establish another park somewhere in the city to make up for the portion of Saccarappa Park that is developed. “I just think that it’s important that we not take that green space away,” Groves said.
City Administrator Jerre Bryant responded to Groves’ concerns by saying that the city’s Recreation and Conservation Committee had recommended that the park be partially developed with the condition that the city identify land elsewhere in the city to be preserved as open space. He said the city is currently in the process of identifying appropriate land in the city.
At the end of the council meeting, Groves referred the issue of securing additional open space to replace the portion of Saccarappa Park that was slated for development to the council’s Building and Facilities Committee for future discussion.
In other news, the council also voted 7-0 to give preliminary approval to a text change to the city’s zoning ordinances that would allow for the operation of theaters in the industrial district.
The change would clear the way for a proposed Cinemagic movie theater to be constructed on a parcel of land on County Road.
In March, Manchester, N.H.-based Zyacorp announced its intentions to construct a stadium movie theater on a 36-acre plot of land off County Road near the South Portland line. Because theaters were not previously allowed in the industrial district, the text change needed to be approved before Zyacorp could move forward and begin the process of securing the necessary approval for the project to move forward.
Before the change to the zoning becomes final, the City Council must approve a second reading of the change and hold a public hearing on the matter. The council has scheduled a public hearing to be held at a City Council meeting on May 16 at 7 p.m. in room 114 of Westbrook High School. The council will vote on the second and final reading of the matter immediately after the public hearing.
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