Local developer Kerry Anderson is getting ready to add a 54-unit apartment complex to his Eastern Village development in Oak Hill.

The Scarborough Planning Board was scheduled to get a first look at the proposal during its meeting on Monday, but the sketch plan review was postponed at Anderson’s request, according to Dan Bacon, the town planner.

The 154-lot Eastern Village, on 52 acres, was originally approved in early 2005, but in the past 11 years mostly single-family homes have been built. Now, Anderson is looking to add rental units, as well.

With the new apartment complex, Anderson is planning to construct eight buildings, the majority consisting of eight units each. However, he is also hoping a new zone, now under consideration, would allow him to build as many as 12 units in one building and nine in another.

Under the proposal, 49 units would be one-bedroom, while the remaining five would be two-bedroom.

The Current was unable to reach Anderson for comment before its print deadline, but Bacon said there is a market in Greater Portland for one-bedroom apartments.

He’s not sure if that’s due to young professionals who are not yet ready to buy their first home or to empty nesters looking to downsize.

The apartment complex would be the third phase of the Eastern Village project, according to Bacon, who said the development plan calls for nine phases before complete buildout.

The apartments would be rented at market rates, although as part of the approval process for the Eastern Village, Anderson agreed to set aside 10 lots for moderately priced homes designed to meet the income levels of people like teachers or police officers.

In addition to single-family homes, in recent years Anderson has also added three-story townhouses, built in the Greek Revival style.

Bacon said the apartment complex would likely require at least two meetings of the Planning Board, with final approval likely to come in April, assuming the sketch plan is reviewed at the March 14 meeting as expected.

Bacon described the sketch plan review process as giving the Planning Board a concept of what the project would be like in order to get comments on building design and location, and that site plan review includes a more detailed design, from parking to stormwater runoff to landscaping.

According to Bacon, Anderson would like to break ground sometime this spring or early summer, but he may also wish to wait to see if the town is likely to pass the new zoning amendment that would allow him to build more than eight units per building.

Bacon said the town’s Long Range Planning Committee is discussing such an amendment now, but before it gets approved it would first have to go to the Town Council, then be referred to the Planning Board for a public hearing and then go back to the council for final review.

This sketch shows what Kerry Anderson’s new apartment complex in Scarborough’s Eastern Village might look like.