Bangor planners OK golfing range, baseball facility

BANGOR – Plans to develop a combination golf driving range and baseball batting area on Union Street were among those approved Tuesday night by members of the city’s planning board.

The outdoor recreation facility planned by the Fore C’s Corp., owner of the Golf Country store in the Airport Mall on Union Street, will be located near the mall on a vacant parcel behind Wendy’s restaurant, Banknorth and the Concord Trailways bus station, according to the planning staff’s background memo for planning board members.

In order for the project to move into the construction phase, the applicants needed conditional use and site development plan approval, which was granted to them during Tuesday’s meeting in a pair of unanimous votes. The votes followed a public hearing and a presentation on how light, noise, traffic and other potential issues will be addressed.

Plans call for a 32-space parking lot, a 576-square foot storage building, a raised tee area, a pitcher and batter’s area and a 300-by-110-yard driving range. To prevent errant balls from flying off the property, the company will put up a 200 foot long, 50 foot tall barrier net, said Michael Clendenning, one of the partners in the corporation.

Also Tuesday, the planning board approved the following projects:

. A 2,000-square-foot expansion to a former Main Street Burger King restaurant, which is being transformed into a 130-seat restaurant called China Harbor. The former drive-through aspect of the restaurant will be eliminated.

. The construction of four self-storage units at 235 Bormarc Road by Bomarc Inc.

. Verizon Wireless’s request to locate a wireless communications antenna and related equipment on an existing tower at 340 Bomarc Road.