BREWER – Concept designs for the new public safety building on Parkway South were presented to the City Council last week, and the planning board on Monday approved the project’s site plans.

The 16,383-square-foot footprint for the New England-style building that will house the fire and police departments gained planning board approval with minor conditions, Tena Williams, Brewer assistant code enforcement officer, said Tuesday.

Local construction firm Nickerson & O’Day and WBRC Architects-Engineers of Bangor are working together as the design-build team on the multilevel facility, which will be approximately 30,000 square feet when finished.

The budget for the new public safety building is $6.5 million.

The planned facility is two buildings that are connected – one that looks like an old colonial home on the right side of the site, which will have shared space for the two departments; and a warehouse-style fire station on the left with living space for firefighters on the second level.

The nearly 3-acre property site is on Parkway South, adjacent to Interstate 395, and across from Liberty Drive.

No one from the public was at the meeting.

During the meeting, the board also:

. Held a public hearing on six amendments to the land use code dealing with planned group developments, and later in the meeting approved sending the amendments to the City Council for final approval.

. Approved site plans for Brewer Self Storage to build five separate storage buildings on a lot on Liberty Drive, located off Parkway South. The buildings will be built in phases and gained approval with minor conditions, Williams said.