BRUNSWICK — Martin’s Point Health Care is proposing a nearly 54,000-square-foot building on Bath Road to house the organization’s local offices under one roof.

The Planning Board approved a sketch plan for the project on July 23.

Martin’s Point Health Care is proposing a new building off Bath Road in Brunswick to consolidate two offices in town. Courtesy town of Brunswick

The structure would consolidate Martin’s Point offices at 74 Baribeau Drive and 6 Farley Road, according to Kylie Mason of Sebago Technics, a South Portland engineering working on the project.

Only landscaping and parking were discussed by the Planning Board. When contacted later by email about project details, including the cost and design, Russell Phillips, marketing and community engagement manager of Portland-based Martin’s Point, said he could not provide additional information.

According to documents submitted to the town by Martin’s Point, the property is off Acadia Drive at or near 114 Bath Road at Brunswick Landing, with frontage on both Bath Road and Allagash Road.

The space was previously used as a vehicle storage yard for the U.S. Navy Construction Battalion. It now houses Blue Dog Daycare, which will move by the end of September, according to Steve Levesque, executive director of the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority, the agency responsible for redevelopment of the former Brunswick Naval Air Station.

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Concerns about the appearance of the building as it would be viewed from Bath Road were brought up at the meeting, and Mason assured the board that a large part of the sketch planning process put a focus on providing green space so the property would not “present with a negative connotation,” such as a retail parking lot.

According to Mason, the proposal includes a “significant amount of buffering” from Bath Road, which should improve the look of the area as people travel into downtown. In addition, there will be 256 parking spaces spread between several parking lots, as well as an Explorer bus stop.

Mason also added that the only public entrance to the property would be from Bath Road; the Acadia Drive entrance would become a gated emergency entrance.

Questions were raised by the Planning Board about adding a left-turn lane to Bath Road to accommodate more traffic. Mason said a scoping meeting will be scheduled with the Maine Department of Transportation, Town Planner Jared Woolston, applicants Jake Jeppson and Bob Cherry, and traffic engineers to look at the impact the project would have on Bath Road.

According to Director of Planning Matt Panfil, the initial meeting was held to get information about the proposal from Martin’s Point.

Panfil said in a July 30 phone interview that the next step in the process is for the applicants to review feedback from the Planning Board and make any changes before submitting a formal application.

While Panfil could not confirm the proposal would be discussed at the board’s Sept. 10 meeting, he said it’s likely, since the applicants hope to get the project approved as soon as possible.

According to Mason, the goal is to begin construction by spring 2020.


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