The Planning Board held its monthly meeting on Dec. 1 at the Gorham Municipal Center with six board members in attendance (Chair James Hager, Vice Chair William Benson, Rob Delaney, Russell Frank, Barbara Nichols, David Walsh) and one absent (Stephen Crisafulli). Also present were Thomas Poirier, the town’s director of community development; Carol Eyerman, town planner; Damon Yakovleff, assistant town planner; and Chuck Norton, town engineer.
The meeting drew significant public interest, as the last item on the agenda was discussion of an initial proposal by Amazon.com LLC to build a 158,100-square-foot warehouse facility on a 94-acre industrial-zoned parcel on Main Street.
Item 1 on the evening’s agenda, a public hearing on a request for Special Exception review of a proposal by the Pinecrest Inn Bed and Breakfast at 91 South Street to add indoor dining as an accessory use, was tabled at the request of the applicants (6 Ayes, 1 Absent).
Item 2 was a discussion of a request to amend the Fort Hill Heights Subdivision to merge Lot 3 with an abutting lot. The parcel is located on tax map 44 (lot 3-3, zoned Rural). Following a brief discussion, the board approved the request with conditions (6 Ayes, 1 Absent).
Discussion of item 3, the Amazon proposal, comprised a pre-application/site review for a last-mile warehouse facility with parking, access drives for trucks and delivery vans, utilities, and other associated infrastructure and extended over roughly 90 minutes. Although the format was a discussion rather than a public hearing, Chair Hager requested that the Board entertain a motion to allow a period of public comment. Such motion was moved and seconded, with all present board members in favor (6 Ayes, 1 Absent).
Eleven Gorham residents, the majority from Shamrock Drive and Gateway Commons, voiced concerns about the proposed project. Issues raised included traffic impacts, noise and light pollution, and to what extent the project will benefit Gorham’s tax base and workforce.
The meeting can be viewed in its entirety at https://play.champds.com/gorhamme/event/197.
A public hearing will take place at a later date, pending the applicant’s progress in obtaining the required state approvals. The Board elected not to schedule a site walk at this time.