The Gorham Town Council declined last week to halt work on a condo development near Morrill Avenue after the developer promised to address complaints of excessive water runoff from neighbors.

Several neighbors on Morrill Avenue, Running Springs Road and South Street told the council that their basements and yards had flooded this year. They alleged that a condo project being built off Morrill Avenue was the cause of the water problems.

A council order threatened to send the matter to the town’s Economic Development/Capital Improvements Committee and to withhold building permits and street opening permits until a review had been completed. The council defeated the order, 0-6, with Mike Phinney absent.

Greg McCormack of the Morrill Place condo development said developers would be willing to look at additional drainage, but it might require taking down trees. “We’re in a bad situation. If we can’t get building permits, the whole project is in trouble,” McCormack said.

McCormack and Amy Mulkerin of Pines of Portland II, LLC, are building the Morrill Place condo project on Rackleff Way, a private road off Morrill Avenue. Mulkerin also said they would fix a drainage problem at the entrance into the development on Morrill Avenue where water had pooled last winter.

Elaine Liberio of South Street, an abutter to Morrill Place, said water “flowed like a river” from the project to her property with deep water on one-third of her property.

She said her basement had sustained damage. “Our sump pump has been running constantly,” she said.

Carolyn Bowers of Morrill Avenue wanted the developers to alleviate the water problems. She said she had water in her basement from April until last week.

Michael Lortie of Morrill Avenue wondered what would happen next year. “I’m concerned with my property,” Lortie said.

A lawyer for the condo project, John Bannon, said those disagreeing with the Planning Board decision in approving the project should have appealed to court. “This project went through years of review by the Planning Board,” Bannon said.

Bannon said it was the third wettest April in Maine history and the fifth wettest spring. He said the council had no basis to take action until proving a connection between wet basements and Morrill Place. “The burden of proof is on the neighbors,” he said.

Walt Stinson, an engineer with Sebago Technics who represented the developers, said the project had been scrutinized more than any other he’s worked on in 25 years. “Our land drains away from those who spoke,” he said.

Town Councilor Matt Robinson said it was a nice subdivision and he didn’t want to halt it. He said he believed developers have been doing a good job but felt they should do something to remedy the drainage problem.