Brewer subdivision plan gets preliminary approval

BREWER – Riverview Heights Phase III, a 29-lot subdivision off North Main Street, was given approval to go forward at Monday’s planning board meeting.

“He got preliminary plan approval with conditions,” City Planner Linda Johns said Tuesday about developer Stanley MacMillan.

Several residents spoke up at the meeting about possible storm water issues associated with the project, Johns said.

“A lot of the conditions were to supply additional information for the final plan concerning storm water,” she said. “The project will be 29 lots including a large open space area that will be given to the homeowner’s association.”

The topography of the area should help create an attractive subdivision, Johns said.

“It’s a nice area, and it should have views of the [Penobscot] river,” she said.

The plans include extending Hillside Boulevard, which is off North Main Street, and adding another road called Castine Lane.

“Castine Lane is going to loop off Camden Court and hook onto Hillside Boulevard,” Johns said.

The final plan for the project is expected to take several months to develop.

The board also approved the new home for certified public accountants Veeder and Longtin LLP, of Bangor, who decided to refurbish a home into an office at 218 State St.

“This is an existing house that’s within our office-residential district that they will be converting,” Johns said. “They are hoping to be moving in during December.”

There are minor conditions with the project including landscaping and buffering that will need to be done around the parking lot. During the meeting, Fansway Realty, which owns Atlantic Avenue Warehouse, received planning board permission to install an overhead door and expand the paved trucking area at its warehouse on Atlantic Avenue.

“The hope is to have an additional tenant in a couple of months,” Johns said.

The board also endorsed using approximately 20 acres near Friar Tuck Lane and Canterbury Road in South Brewer as open space.

“The planning board basically recommended it remain open space and be used for passive recreation, such as walking, hiking and bird-watching,” Johns said.

The open space proposal will be presented to Brewer City Council for approval at its Dec. 14 meeting.