GORHAM – The University of Southern Maine got permission from Gorham planners Monday to light up its new artificial turf athletic field soon to be under construction.
Gorham Planning Board voted 5-0 (Tom Fickett absent) to allow the university to install light fixtures on four poles 80 feet high. Gorham’s Town Planner Tom Poirier said Monday that adding lights was phase 2 of the university’s project.
In a first phase, the university was granted permission in April to convert a natural grass field to artificial turf. The field and lighting is expected to cost about $1.3 million. It will be the first lighted field for the university.
The multi-purpose field will be used for lacrosse, field hockey and soccer, along with recreation and sports camps.
An additional future phase would add stadium seating, press box and concessions building.
In other Planning Board action this week, the panel tabled a proposal for a 42-lot housing project on South Street to allow the Town Council to settle a sewer dispute.
Chase Custom Homes is proposing the clustered subdivision on 104 acres and is seeking a hardship waiver from connecting to a public sewer system. The project is asking that the homes be served by septic systems.
Last month, the project’s engineer, Les Berry of BH2M, said a sewer line in a nearby development lacked additional capacity and another sewer line is 3,500 feet away from the proposed project.
However, this week, Bill Dale, town lawyer, cited Gorham’s ordinance and said the project has to hook in with public sewer because one was within 500 feet. But Berry questioned capacity of that sewer line that is within 500 feet of the proposed project.
A sewer pumping station capability became an issue. Dale said that just because the pumping station is at capacity doesn’t mean the sewer system is at capacity.
“It sounds like it would go to the Town Council,” Planning Board Chairman Ed Zelmanow said.
In a preliminary review, Tom Greer of Pinkham and Greer presented details of a 26-lot subdivision proposed by Design Dwellings Inc., on the 13-acre Main Street site of Barrows Greenhouses, which is still operating.
The proposal calls for 1,500 feet of road with two sections. Under the plan, greenhouses would be razed but two existing homes on the site would be saved. A neighbor, Doralyn Roberts, spoke of her concerns about existing and locations of trees to be planted along with impact of blasting on her historic home.
The proposed project is near the Narragansett Elementary School. A site walk will likely be scheduled this month.
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