BIDDEFORD — Mill development in Biddeford is moving forward. Almost on the heels of the announcement of big things to come at the Lincoln Mill, plans to move along development at the Pepperell Mill Campus are also in the works.

Earlier this month, Odyssey Properties, LLC filed plans with the City Planning Department. On Dec. 3, planning board members will hear about redevelopment efforts there to create an 80-room hotel, two restaurants and 101-market rate apartments.

Economic Development Director Daniel Stevenson said he estimates redevelopment of the Lincoln Mill will bring $50 million in new investment to the city and create more than 100 permanent new jobs.

On Thursday, Doug Sanford, owner of the largest mill property in the mill district, the 1.1 million square foot Pepperell Mill Campus, which includes the North Dam Mill, met with representatives of the Maine Department of Transportation.

Because of the amount of traffic  to be generated by the full development of his property, which is spread out over 17-acres, a traffic moving permit from the state is required.

The plans, that will likely be filed with the planning office in December and be considered by the planning board in January, consist of three phases.

Already approximately one-third of the total space of the Pepperell Mill, the former WestPoint Home, has been redeveloped.

Currently there are apartment units, small retail businesses, light manufacturing, offices and other types of uses, such as brewery and a yarn dye house.

Phase one is underway of new development is underway now; it is scheduled take continue through 2016.

Some of the plans in the works this year include the addition of Portland Pie restaurant, which is scheduled to open in January, and a textile operation creating clothing for the AngelRox line, which opened recently.

According to documents prepared by Maine Traffic Resources in Gardiner for Sanford, phase one includes the development of 85,000 square feet for mixed commercial use, 30,000 for light industrial and 59 new residential units, 19 at North Dam Mill and 40 elsewhere on the property.

Phase two is projected to take place form 2017-2019. Development would include renovating 125,000 square feet for mixed commercial use, 30,000 square feet for light industrial and 83 residential units.

The final phase, scheduled to take place from 2020-2022, would include redevelopment of 110,000 square feet for mixed commercial and 20 residential units.

The three phases are flexible, and are dependent on businesses seeking to locate at the mill.

For instance, Sanford has said he would like a hotel to locate on the Pepperell Mill Campus.

A traffic moving permit is required for future development at the mill because full development will create approximately 300 new one-way trips to the property.

The DOT wants to ensure that plans for traffic movement and parking are adequate to accommodate the additional vehicles entering and leaving.

“This is a unique facility,” said Timothy Soucie, DOT Region 1 traffic engineer. Normally the projects the department considers are stand alone, he said.

One improvement that has already been made is that Laconia Street recently became one-way, heading from Main Street into the mill property.

Other changes are being considered as part of a larger traffic management study that is looking at the downtown and mill districts of both Biddeford and Saco.

That separate study is looking at how to address traffic once all the property in the mill districts of both cities is developed to in order to obtain one permit for the whole plan from the DOT. How to finance the changes is also being considered.

City Planner Greg Tansley said this is the first time the DOT has considered such a broad and long-term look at an area for a traffic moving permit. If it is successful, “it could be a model for the state,” he said.

The positive aspect of this approach is that it will create a cohesive design for improvements to roadways, sidewalks, signs and other items, he said.

It will also calculate costs so that it is spread out among all the developers who will benefit from the improvements rather than the entire cost be born by the first developer to tip the scale causing costly changes to be necessary.

For those hoping for a new plan to alleviate traffic congestion between the twin cities’ city centers and mill districts, they’re in for a disappointment.

Little can be done to make changes on the two cities’ Main streets.

However there is a plan to line up Main, Hill and Water streets and the entrance to the North Dam Mill and  include a traffic signal. A future improvement could include a traffic light at the intersection of Main and Alfred streets.

The majority of modifications, said Tansley, will be changes to decrease overall vehicle traffic.

Improvements being considered include expanding public transportation to decrease the total number of vehicles in the downtowns and encouraging employers to hold work hours during off-peak periods so there are fewer commuters traveling to and from work at the same time.

The cost for these improvements should be made public in December.

Sanford said he plans to hold off submitting his plans to the planning board for review until he knows what the projected costs are as this could effect his redevelopment strategy.

— Staff Writer Dina Mendros can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 324 or [email protected].