SACO — Between 35 and 40 people gathered at the parking lot of St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in Saco on Saturday to walk a trail to the Lucia Kimball Deering Trust property between Bradley and Lincoln streets, to hear what the developer and Planning Board members had to say about the proposal to build 336 housing units on the site.

The proposal by the John Flatley Company of Canton, Massachusetts would see 7, four-story, 48-unit apartment buildings, each 52 feet tall, according to documents on file at City Hall, built on about 57 acres. The entrance to The Charlotte Apartments, once proposed to be located on Lincoln Street, has been moved to Bradley Street. The property is wooded, there are two vernal pools, and there are several acres of forested wetlands on the site, the documents note.

Neighbors, who have organized themselves as Save Saco Neighborhoods, say the project would create far too much additional traffic, clogging side streets already busy with motorists trying to get to the Maine Turnpike, and contribute additional students to Saco’s crowded schools. Some also have environmental concerns.

“For me the concern is the wetlands,” said Betsy Carolan, who lives on Forest Street. “Everything on their property dumps into the Saco River.”

The Saturday site walk was a chance for the Planning Board to view the property and speak with the developer. While open to the public, there was no public comment portion. City Planner Bob Hamblen said the next time the Flatley proposal is scheduled to be on the Planning Board agenda is Feb. 16.

The walk, said Hamblen, was “for the Planning Board to get a feel for the property,” and how the existing neighborhoods fit next to it.

“It is simply a fact-finding mission for the Planning Board,” said its vice chair, Alyssa Bouthot.

According to the applicant’s site analysis, with the exception of the proposed access drive, the northern portion of the property will be open space. About 56 percent of the parcel will be preserved and left undisturbed. The company notes a vegetative buffer will provide a separation from existing neighborhoods.

The analysis noted the company proposes 20 one-bedroom and 28 two-bedroom apartments in each of the seven buildings. The city requires 1.5 parking spaces for the one-bedroom units, and two spaces for two-bedroom apartments, for a total of 626 parking spaces, of which 70 would be garaged, 28 ADA compliant, and 24 visitor spaces at the proposed clubhouse.

Such a project is allowed under Saco’s 2013 Master planned Development clause in the MU-4 zone, where the property is located. The City Council approved a new zoning ordinance at a recent meeting, but paused its start date to 90 days. The new ordinance proposal, as recommended by the Planning Board, did not contain the MU-4 zone along with some other zones. The City Council initially voted to reinstate those zones at their Jan. 5 meeting, but upon advice of legal counsel, voted on Jan. 11 to refer those items back to the Planning Board for further review. That review is underway.

The project is aimed at 25 to 35 year olds and empty nesters. The residences, termed luxury apartments, would rent for around $1,275 to $1,375 for the one-bedroom units; and $1,675 to $1,775 for the two-bedroom units. Pets would not be allowed, and there is no smoking on the property, according to the developer.

Phil Hatch, who lives in the neighborhood, said the project would set a precedent, and that there are issues associated with the project.

“Traffic is the big one,” he said, adding an increase in traffic will impact neighborhood streets, and  residents who live on them voiced concern at a couple of recent online neighborhood meetings held by the applicant.

Hatch said after conducting his own research, he believes the project would generate as many as 80 new students in Saco schools — a far larger number, he said, than the 27 recently estimated by the project developers.

And there’s more.

“The neighborhood impact is the sheer size of the project,” said Hatch.

The project is thought to be the first under the city’s 2013 Master Planned Development zoning, said Hamblen.

The property is under contract for sale between the trust and the John Flatley Co.

Neighborhoods around the property are largely single-family or two-family dwellings, neighbors point out.

According to information provided by the John Flatley Co., the development will add an estimated $754,800 annually in tax revenue to the city; $84,672 in vehicle excise tax revenue and $480,000 in city building permit fees. As well, there are police, fire and sewer impact fees, to be calculated. The project will generate about 150 construction jobs and 10 permanent jobs, company officials said at one of the neighborhood meetings.

The company anticipates the project will take three years to complete with current market conditions, and would be constructed in two phases. The first would consist of both the primary access road on Bradley Street and the emergency access drive on Lincoln Street, with associated infrastructure, and include the construction of the clubhouse and four apartment buildings. The second phase would include completing the loop road and the three remaining apartment buildings. The timeline is approximate based on current market demand, according to company documents.

Carolan, before setting out with the others down a snow-covered path to the site, said she worries about the vernal pools on the property, the impact on the environment and is concerned, as are others, about traffic and the impact on the school system.

Upcoming Planning Board meeting agendas may be viewed at: https://www.sacomaine.org/boards_and_committees/planning_board_agenda.php

Meetings are online; agendas contain instructions for access.

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