New commercial tenants could be signed “within a couple of weeks” after Planning Board members Tuesday approved the first phase of a Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority subdivision plan for Brunswick Landing.

Board members passed the request — the first step toward expanding commercial occupancy of the former Navy base — by a 3-1 vote, with Chairman Charles Frizzle, Dann Lewis and Vice Chairwoman Margaret Wilson in favor.

Steve Walker, who in the past has pointed out what he describes as numerous flaws and shortcomings in the plan’s environmental consideration, logged the sole opposing vote.

The former base came to MRRA as one large lot that, for more than 60 years of military occupancy, wasn’t subject to Brunswick’s planning or zoning standards. In order to market it to commercial tenants, however, the lot had to be divided into smaller parcels and brought into compliance with town and state codes.

“It’s great news,” MRRA Executive Director Steve Levesque said this morning. “We’ll still need to finalize some conditions and notes with the town, and record the plan. But then we can start addressing the list of developers and prospective tenants that were directly waiting on subdivision plan approval.”

Levesque said he expects to be signing purchase-and-sale agreements “within a couple of weeks.”

Phase One targets lots that already have some degree of development on them, such as buildings, parking lots or other infrastructure.

Conversely, Phase Two will address raw or undeveloped land, some of which is still subject to ecological remediation and cleanup by the U.S. Navy.

When cleanup and testing is complete, and the property is transferred to MRRA — a process Levesque said could take two more years — Phase Two likely would be filed as an amendment to the plan approved Tuesday.

One additional lot — the Navy’s former exercise and fitness center — also was removed from Phase One. Remediation has been done there, but environmental conditions are still being monitored and tested, Levesque said. It’s unclear when the building will be fit for occupancy.

jtleonard@timesrecord.com

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