The University of Southern Maine believes a new $21.5 million dorm would satisfy demand for more housing on the Gorham campus but would not put a squeeze on parking.

The university, which hopes to start construction this spring, could get final approval for the building from the Gorham Planning Board at 7 p.m. on Monday, March 6.

Town Planner Deborah Fossum said the planning board usually takes a close look at how university construction projects will affect parking in Gorham, which is in high demand in the village and on the university’s nearby campus.

“They’re careful in their review,” said Fossum. “They always look closely.”

The door would be built on one of the university’s existing parking lots, which would eliminate 154 spaces. However, the university would build another parking lot with 171 spaces. The new parking lot would be near what’s known as the “twin towers,” two eight-story dorms called Dickie-Wood Hall.

No room in the inn

The dorm plans call for five floors, including the basement. It would add 296 beds to the campus, representing a 22 percent increase. The 125-acre Gorham campus now has six dorms, housing 1,345 students. That number would swell to 1,641 if the new dorm were approved.

Lennie Cross, a Gorham resident who served on the building committee, said the proposed dorm would alleviate cramped residence halls on the campus. “It’s designed to keep students on campus,” she said.

Dormitory rooms on campus are in short supply now. Bob Caswell, a university spokesman, said 100 applicants for dorms were turned away last fall and 120 students were forced to split rooms made for two between three students. He said the new dorm is aimed at converting commuter students into on-campus residents.

Caswell said the new dorm wouldn’t encourage more students to enroll. Instead, it would serve commuter students who already park on campus.

“When it all nets out, our studies show we won’t be increasing traffic on campus,” Caswell said.

A big project

Fossum said a sewer study still needed to be completed to determine whether existing sewer lines would have to be upgraded to meet additional needs of the project. But the Planning Board could grant conditional approval before seeing sewer study results so the university could break ground this spring. “It’s a big project,” Fossum said.

The proposed dorm would be located off Husky Drive near Bailey Hall. Cross, who lives on School Street near the university, said the building would feature a New England-style appearance but would have a flat roof. She said a pitched roof would have added $100,000 to construction costs.

Cross and another Gorham resident, Roger Marchand of South Street, contributed to the design of the dorm. Cross said the university welcomed their ideas.

“We helped give them ideas of what it should look like,” she said.

She said the building would be a long L-shaped building with apartments and suites. Landscaping would include a terrace for studying and shrubs for privacy of residents on the first floor.

The building design conforms to voluntary standards established by the U.S. Green Building Council, a national coalition promoting environmental conservation and energy efficiency. Caswell said the “green” standards include things from window placement to use of recycled construction materials. The standards also encourage the purchase of local building supplies.

Cross said the university wanted to retain the “small college feel.” Building materials will include brick, with other materials resembling clapboards. She said the dorm would fit in well with other nearby college buildings, such as the John Mitchell Center, which meets the green standards. “The overall project is terrific,” Cross said.

Harriman Associates of Auburn is the architect. The university hopes the building will be ready for occupancy in September of 2007.

Maine taxpayers won’t foot the building costs, according to Caswell. University revenue bonds would provide financing for the dorm. “Room fees will make payments,” he said.

Also on the Gorham campus, construction is underway for a new $1.5 million childcare center off Husky Drive. Caswell said the project, which is a joint effort between the university and PROP, would serve 50 children.

Construction is underway of this $1.5 million childcare center on the Gorham campus of the University of Southern Maine. The university is seeking Gorham Planning Board approval for a $21.5 million dorm.

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