Rockport Planning Board considers plans to convert medical offices to 18-unit housing development
The proposed site of Hope for the Future LLC includes two former medical office buildings on the east side of Route 1 in Rockport.
The proposed site of Hope for the Future LLC includes two former medical office buildings on the east side of Route 1 in Rockport.
ROCKPORT — The Planning Board in Rockport on July 28 will continue its review of a proposed conversion of a medical office complex to supportive housing to be used by the Knox County Homeless Coalition.
The Planning Board meeting begins with a site walk of the proposed project location, and the full meeting takes place in the Rockport Opera House. The meeting agenda also includes consideration of a new 150-foot monopole tower for U.S. Cellular on Vinal Street land owned and leased to the tower company KJK Wirelesss by Kathleen Bailey. And, the Planning Board on July 28 will consider construction of a Route 1 gymnastics facility proposed by Stacey and Jonas Contakos.
The housing project site is 6 Madelyn Lane, which was built 15 years ago on a 6.11 lot off of Route 1 for physician offices. The location is on the east side of Route 1, and lies between the highway and a private waterfront parcel. It is on a stretch of road between businesses, such as Fresh off the Farm and Plants Unlimited, and housing subdivisions.
Now, the Hope for the Future LLC project proposes changing the use of the property from commercial to residential, and converting two large office buildings to 18 housing units, with a total of 28 bedrooms.
“The buildings are to be used by Knox County Homeless Coalition and includes living, meeting, and office space,” according to plan documents filed at the Rockport Town Office and available online here. “The proposed conversion incorporates 18 living units for individuals and families in need of housing, and space for health, wellness, and services that provide them support.”
The 907 District allows for one residential unit for every 10,000 square of land area for multi-family buildings connected to municipal sewer, the document said.
The parcel is 266,151 square feet in total, area which allows for 26 dwelling units, the plans said.
The units are to hook into the Rockport sewer system, which was recently extended along Route 1 to the Pen Bay Medical Center.
Each of the two buildings is to a separate sewer service. The average daily flow from the project is 2,700 gallons per day.
“The wastewater being generated by proposed development will be conveyed to the Plants Unlimited Pump Station currently under construction,” the plans said. “This pump station has a maximum design capacity of approximately 60 gpm. W&C reviewed pump station design flows for the Plants Unlimited Pump Station sewer shed to confirm if the current system can accommodate the additional flows. The estimated average and peak flow to the pump station will be approximately 24,800 gallons/day (gpd) and 44,600 gpd, respectively.”
Fresh water is to be supplied by Maine Water Company, which said it has sufficient capacity for the redevelopment but may require additional infrastructure improvements.
“The anticipated peak demand for the proposed fire service has been estimated as 500 gpm,” wrote Maine Water, in its plan document. “Based on the criteria that has been presented, MWC does have sufficient capacity in the area from the existing 16-inch ductile iron public main on Commercial Street to serve the needs of this project. Additional infrastructure improvements may be required at the expense of the developer to meet the overall needs of this project.”
