SACO  — A development company involved in a $40 million mixed-use development proposed for Saco Island is seeking a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to conduct work to install seasonal floats in the Saco River to establish marina basins near Saco.

J & B Partners, which includes developer Bernie Saulnier of proposed The Waters project, is asking to place permanent fill below the high tide line and then install seasonal floats for two marinas in the Saco River. The marinas would have a combined 55 slips and are part of the redevelopment of Saco Island for commercial and residential structures.

A similar marina proposal at the same site was approved by the Army Corps of Engineers in 2007 but was never installed and the permit for that work has expired.

The Waters Project was delayed following a vote by the Saco River Corridor Commission in July citing a need to review architectural plans for a proposed hotel at that site. The project also requires the approval of the Saco Planning Board and Saco City Council.

In September 2017, Saulnier purchased 5.84 acres at 110 Main St. on the east side of Saco Island for The Waters project, a $40 million development of the vacant land that includes residential units, commercial space, a hotel, open space, a riverwalk and a marina.

The seasonal-float proposal would impact about 39,586 square feet of river bottom through the reconstruction of existing timber and stone crib and granite block seawalls. J & B Partners is asking to rebuild the granite block wall and face the timber crib wall with a new steel sheet pile wall.

Floats would then be bottom-moored and accessed by ramps extending from the shoreline. Ramps would available to owners of nearby residences and the public, according to the proposal.

In examining the environmental impact, developers say the new marinas will impact about 0.03 acres of Essential Fish Habitat, consisting of silt, sand and debris from past industrial use. They say loss of this habitat may adversely affect species that use these waters.

However, the Corps of Engineers has determined that this adverse effect will not be substantial.

A news release from the Corps of Engineers says further consultation with the National Marine Fisheries Service regarding conservation recommendations about the proposal is under way and will be wrapped up before a final permit decision is made.

No timetable has been announced for a decision about the permit by the Corps of Engineers.

— Executive Editor Ed Pierce can be reached at 282-1535 or by email at [email protected]