WESTBROOK – The developer of a subdivision planned for the former Clarke farm on Spring Street in Westbrook unveiled concepts for a mix of single-family, duplex and multi-family units during a meeting Monday for abutting neighbors.
Rocco Risbara, one of three brothers who own Risbara Bros. Construction, presented a plan for the 32-acre development during the meeting at the Husson University campus on County Road. About a dozen people attended.
Risbara purchased the Clarke property on Jan. 22. The farm was formerly owned by well-known Westbrook resident William Clarke, who served as city clerk for 38 years. Wayside Drive was renamed in his honor.
Nancy St. Clair, a civil engineer of St. Clair Associates who has worked with Risbara on many projects, provided the audience with an overview of what is planned for the property, which includes remodeling the existing farmhouse into two apartment units and constructing a new barn-like structure to house some 20 additional apartments.
In a concept plan shown to the audience, St. Clair said that Risbara Bros. is looking at 59 house lots to take up the majority of the parcel, which could be either single-family or duplex homes. She said there are “some options for creating a mixed neighborhood.”
St. Clair said that in talks with city planning staff, they were told about key elements of the property that the developer needs to keep in mind, especially the view of the property from Spring Street, and its rural nature.
“What we’ve tried to do with this layout is preserve that open field concept,” she said. “We tried to place the houses to the northerly side, set back from the farm house.”
The property also includes a few areas of wetlands, wooded areas, and abuts the Stroudwater River.
Jane Richard, whose property at 275 Spring St. forms an L-shape along the back portion of the farm, said at the meeting that she was concerned with the eventual buffer zone between her property and the new development, and whether a row of trees would be cut down along her property line.
“They’re old, and beautiful and there are hawks that actually nest in those trees,” she said.
She added that the entire field of the farm flooded in 1996, all the way to her driveway.
St. Clair said that there is a required 15-foot buffer for the development, but that Risbara would be willing to discuss options with the property owner, especially concerning the trees.
Speaking at the meeting, Rocco Risbara said the subdivision is planned to look much like the developer’s recent project, Wagner Farm, located in Gorham off Libby Avenue.
“The average is probably three-bedroom houses over there, and half have garages,” he said. “It’s empty-nester, young people, and move-ups, which is really quite a mix as far as the population of the neighborhood.”
Another question raised was the price of the homes, which Risbara said, if comparing with the Wagner Farm development, would be between $250,000 and $325,000.
“The Risbaras have been able to create some very nice neighborhoods, and we wanted to be able to carry that over to this particular setting,” St. Clair said.
In addition to the house lots and apartment units making up the former Clarke farm house and barn, Risbara’s concept also calls for two additional apartment buildings on the development, one containing 36 units, with the other housing 12. Risbara said these apartments would house a mix of one- and two-bedroom units.
Last week, Bill Risbara said that while discussing the project with members of the Clarke family, they understood the history of the property, and were interested in preserving the farm feel on the land.
The Clarke farmhouse, on 333 Spring St., was built in 1910 by William Bragdon, a former Westbrook mayor, and Clarke lived at the property for decades, running the dairy farm until the late 1980s. According to City Councilor Mike Sanphy, who is also the president of the Westbrook Historical Society, two mayors lived at the former farm, and one, William Bragdon, even gave a public speech from the front porch.
Tom Clarke said Tuesday that the Risbara brothers have listened to his concerns, which include the proximity of the proposed 12-unit apartment building to his property, which abuts the farmland.
“They seem more than willing to work with me, and said they could rework their concept,” he said. “I think we’ll have a good relationship.”
Clarke added that he has spoken to a few neighbors who weren’t able to attend the meeting, but are concerned for the possible traffic impacts that could come from significant development on Spring Street.
The concept calls for a road to lead into the subdivision stemming from the same intersection that leads to Avita of Stroudwater. The road, to be named Jacqueline Way, after William Clarke’s wife, would then form a loop through the property. Risbara also plans to use the name of Blue Spruce Farm, which was the name of Clarke’s dairy farm.
“Change is inevitable, and no one has enough money to run a farm anymore,” Clarke said. “But the layout they have presented looks good.”
The next steps in the process are Planning Board review, public hearings and approval, as well as state approval from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection. Rocco Risbara said they would like to be working at the property by this summer, but that work will have to be done in phases over a roughly three-year period.
Risbara Bros. intends to develop 32 acres for housing on the former Clarke farm property located on Spring Street. This rendering shows a remodeled Clarke farmhouse as well as a redeveloped barn, which would house 20 apartment units. Send questions/comments to the editors.
