HALLOWELL — The City Council unanimously approved, with conditions, the Stevens Commons master plan application during its meeting Tuesday.

Owner and developer Matt Morrill submitted his master plan for a mixed-use development on the 54-acre property at the top of Winthrop Street in September, and the plan has been scrutinized for more than five months before finally being approved. One of the conditions approved by the council stipulates that the master plan cannot be amended for 24 months. Any development proposals, however, will go through a normal Planning Board review process.

Stevens Commons in Hallowell would benefit from a bond issue that could go before voters in the spring following City Council's vote Tuesday. Staff file photo by Joe Phelan

This January photo shows a long line of cars parked on Water Street in downtown Hallowell. The downtown part of the street is scheduled to be rebuilt in 2018, funded in part by a bond proposal likely to go before the city's voters this spring. Staff file photo by Joe Phelan

The council also had planned on voting to approve the third reading of a $2.36 million bond proposal, but that meeting was postponed because of Monday’s snowstorm, and a 14-day notice must be given for a public hearing associated with a third reading of any city proposal.

The bond includes $600,000 for the Stevens Commons redevelopment, $585,000 for the Water Street reconstruction project, $535,000 for work on rural Hallowell roads, $300,000 for downtown parking improvements and $220,000 to begin restoring and preserving the city’s fire station tower.

A special council meeting will be held March 6 for the sole purpose of having a public hearing on the proposed bond and a third reading of the bond. City Manager Nate Rudy said he’ll work with the city clerk to schedule a referendum on the issue for the end of April.

Morrill, of Grand View Log and Timber Frames in Winthrop, acquired the Stevens Commons property from the state in April for $215,000. Since submitting his master plan application, Morrill has asked the city for help fixing the roads and sidewalks on the campus, which he said would make the property more attractive to other developers and tenants.

In other business, the council unanimously approved Rudy’s appointment of Farmingdale firefighter Jim Owens as the city’s interim fire chief. Owens replaces Mike Grant, who retired after leading the Hallowell department for more than 31 years.

The council voted late last month to preserve the Hallowell Fire Department and lease space in a soon-to-be-constructed fire station in Farmingdale. The two departments will continue to train and work closely together but will remain autonomous.

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