1,600-acre plot in Holden eyed for new housing

HOLDEN – A developer is proposing to build homes on some 1,600 acres not far from the Brewer line and the heavily traveled U.S. Route 1A.

Dale Henderson of Orrington owns the land situated between Eastern Avenue and Mann Hill Road. The acreage equals about one-eighth of the town’s land area.

He has approval for a nine-lot subdivision on a portion of the acreage, but stressed to the Town Council during a meeting Monday night that he does not have “an overall picture of how many houses” might be built.

“We are really excited about working with the town here,” Henderson told the councilors.

Jim Kiser of Hampden, Henderson’s engineer and development consultant, outlined the plan to the councilors, indicating where homes and open space could be located.

“I think there is a great deal of flexibility we have for the property,” Kiser said.

“Market is going to drive the whole scenario,” he said. “It could be 20 years or more before the reality of the whole thing is realized.”

Still, Henderson hopes to have portions of the development completed within five years, Kiser said.

One of the proposed routes for a highway connecting Interstate 395 and state Route 9 would run through the Henderson acreage.

The state Department of Transportation is conducting an environmental impact study for the project, and Henderson approached the state to see whether an interchange could be added to the plans near his land. He was turned down, Kiser said.

Open space for conservation and recreation will be included in Henderson’s final plans, Kiser said, including snowmobile and all-terrain vehicle trails.

“We wanted to get some feedback on whether the town was willing to work with us,” Kiser said, adding that zoning changes would need to be made to continue under the current plan.

Zoning changes usually are presented to the planning board for a recommendation, but the final say whether zones are changed lies with residents.

The Henderson acreage is mostly zoned rural, and the developer would like some portions changed to permit 1-acre and 2-acre residential zoning, allowing for some cluster developments.

The planning board on May 10 approved plans for the nine-lot Little Stream subdivision for single-family development off Mann Hill Road, and a site visit for a second, 14-lot subdivision called Mann Hill East is set for the end of the month.

Both of Henderson’s subdivisions are north of Mann Hill Road, but most of the remaining land is south of Mann Hill Road.

After Monday’s presentation, councilors and some of the 20 residents who attended posed some comments.

Most are volunteers for the town, sitting on a variety of boards, including the planning board, land trust panel and the comprehensive plan committee. They wanted to know how the project would fit into the town’s plans.

Chairwoman Ellen Campbell asked that the developer use a habitat analysis design when creating the plans.

Councilor Clare Payne said she was happy to see that the early plans seemed to span the spectrum of housing types.

“If the property owners follow the current zoning they could have a really crummy development,” Payne said.

Councilor Bob Harvey said he understands the plan’s vision, but expressed concerns about what the developer is calling a “village center area” that eventually could have a pizza shop, gas station or small store.

Councilor John Bryant, who lives in the area of Henderson’s land, said he could envision a high-quality and attractive area, but added there are issues to be resolved.

“In order for this to work the trust level needs to be higher,” he said. “That’s got to change or this plan will go nowhere.”

Before he left Monday’s meeting, Henderson indicated that is one reason he scheduled his presentation.

“I hope we get better cooperation in the future working with the project,” he said.

Kiser and Henderson were invited to town subcommittee meetings to get even more comment from members.