Developer Nick Troiano Monday shows his plans for a mixed-use project at the former Gorham golf course on McLellan Road. Robert Lowell / American Journal

Plans are moving forward to extend public water and sewer access to a proposed 170-acre development called Gorham Fairways.

The project would include high-density residential and mixed-use development located at the former Gorham golf course.

A related but separate project the town approved last year on the golf course was scheduled to break ground Tuesday, Feb. 4.

The Planning Board on Monday, Feb. 3, unanimously voted 7-0 to recommend contract zone approval for developer Nick Troiano for Gorham Fairways. Final approval now hinges on an OK from the Town Council.

Troiano is seeking town permission to construct 824 multifamily dwellings in townhouses, apartments and condos on McLellan Road in the South Gorham Crossroads District. It’s a “huge project,” Planning Board chair Jim Hager said Monday.

The zoning doesn’t allow single-family homes. But, Troiano is seeking a contract zone that would allow him to sell off 64 lots for single-family homes up front to pay for the extension of public water and sewer to the proposed development.

The sewer is now 11,000 feet away, according to Troiano’s civil engineer, Dan Riley of Sebago Technics.

Troiano expects a buildout of the project to take 15 to 18 years. “I’ll be living in the development,” Troiano told planners.

Residents had concerns Monday about the development’s impact on schools, traffic, wildlife and recreation.

Traffic is already congested in the area during commute hours. John Ersek of Valley View Drive wondered whether traffic signals would be installed at McLellan Road’s intersections with South Street and also at Brackett Road.

Craig Pyy of Shirley Lane, a 35-year resident, also had concerns about traffic and the development of the golf course within the state’s Narragansett Game Sanctuary. “We’re decimating the game preserve,” Pyy said.

Pam Milliken-Garza of McLellan Road wanted a snow sliding hill preserved on the former golf course and she said the development would dump 1,600 more cars on the road and pointed to the development of the William Clarke farm in Westbrook. “Are we the next Westbrook?” she asked.

Riley said areas in the development would remain open for sledding and recreation, including 20 acres near the Stroudwater River and a site plan review would deal with the traffic issues. “(The contract zone) is the first step in the process,” Riley said.

Town Planner Carol Eyerman said Tuesday the proposed project, located on North and South sides of McLellan Road, requires master plan, site plan and subdivision approval.

Troiano said Monday that construction of his 14-unit condominium project approved last September was to get underway this week on 9.5 acres of the golf course at 93 McLellan Road. That project, Fairway Commons, involves four buildings and will be served by a well and septic systems. They will be designed for possible links to the potential public water and sewer extensions.