FREEPORT
The Freeport Town Council on Tuesday approved contract zoning for a new retail project on Main Street.
Al Yebba of Boston-based Berenson Associates, which owns Freeport Village Station, is seeking to develop the lot on 56-58 Main St. to build a 13,000-square-foot, three-story retail space.
Yebba said he expected his company’s purchase of the property from Denny Block LLC will be completed in the coming weeks.
The project will join with 16,000 feet of building space behind and above two existing adjacent buildings.
Contract zoning was requested because the town’s zoning ordinance limits building height to 35 feet. Situated on a slope, the building height would not exceed more than 43 feet at its highest point.
This would be only the second time in five years that contracting zoning is used in town.
Under terms of the contract, no more than 50 percent of the building’s facade will be glass, in response to concerns voiced at a recent public hearing about birds crashing into the structure.
The project would include an elevator to assist pedestrians in moving between Main Sreet and the shops at Freeport Village. It would be open to the public during regular business hours.
The developer will also reconstruct the sidewalk in front of the building, removing trees and adding seating areas.
“This is a contract that is very workable for us,” Yebba told the council. “This will help us with leasing and with future opportunities of the property.”
Yebba said he would also welcome the possibility of a Portland Metro bus stop that may be placed nearby when that pilot program begins this summer.
The council overwhelmingly approved the contract with the exception of District 4 Councilor Andy Wellen, who warned that other businesses in the area may want to ask for higher buildings as a result of precedent set Tuesday.
Contract zoning, Wellen said, “dilutes the role of zoning” and “supports the perception shared by many residents that at times some businesses will get special treatment at the expense of what’s best for Freeport residents.”
The project now falls under the purview of the project review board.
jswinconeck@timesrecord.com
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