BIDDEFORD — The second project to be proposed in the University of New England’s current five-year master plan was approved by the Planning Board on Wednesday as a multi-purpose athletic field was given the green light in a unanimous vote.

The field is in addition to a 300-bed residence hall that is under construction and scheduled to be ready for occupancy at the beginning of the 2010-11 academic year.

The field and residence hall are part of a plan that calls for construction on a previously undeveloped parcel owned by the university, which is across from the main campus on Pool Street/Route 9.

The field will include a 950-seat grand stand. Director of Campus Planning Alan Thibeault said the university hopes to fill those seats with students, faculty and staff for the women’s field hockey and men and women’s lacrosse games, for which the field is being designed.

Soccer, as well as intramural sports, will also be played on the field and it will  be available for recreational sports.

According to a UNE news release, the new athletic field will sport blue synthetic turf because the UNE Nor’easters are know as “Big Blue.” The turf will be one of only four blue turfs in the nation, according to the release.

When the master plan was being discussed by the Planning Board last year, residents of the area expressed concern about building across from the main campus, which necessitates some roadway changes to Route 9 ”“ such as lowering the speed limit to 35 miles per hour, adding sidewalks, putting in crosswalks and developing traffic calming measures, like a traffic island ”“ to protect the safety of students and others who may cross Pool Street more frequently.

Residents said they were concerned these changes would alter the rural nature of that area.

However, the university is also planning to build an underground tunnel that they feel the majority of students will use to travel across the road, thus reducing the pedestrian traffic crossing Route 9.

The traffic improvements are being designed and will be built by the Maine Department of Transportation because Route 9 is a state roadway.

Some Planning Board members expressed concern that they were being asked to approve this second project without having a say, as a board, about the road changes.

At a public hearing, scheduled for later this month regarding the DOT design, members will only be able to comment as citizens, said Thibeault.

Although listed in the Planning Office’s Notice of Decision to Thibeault, one of the conditions for approval of the field includes the city reserving the right to require improvements beyond those required by the DOT.

An additional condition requires the pedestrian tunnel across Route 9 to be constructed and open for use.

If traffic problems result from any of the new uses, the Planning Board may ask the university to make modifications.

The university is required to come back before the board five months after the residence hall is completed, to review traffic conditions.

The residence hall that is under construction is a four-floor, suite-style residency. It is one of four dormitories included in the master plan, although university officials have stated in the past that they plan to build only two during the five-year period of the approved master plan.

Each dorm will house 300 students. This is expected to handled the projected growth of 600 students by 2012, which will bring the student population to approximately 1,738.

Two other multipurpose athletic fields and a field house are also included in the plan.

Also, 170 acres of the parcel across from the main campus on the west side of Pool Street, which includes 38 vernal pools, will be put in conservation easement in perpetuity.

The public hearing on the new traffic design plans by the Maine Department of Transportation is scheduled for Feb. 22 at City Hall.

— Staff Writer Dina Mendros can be contacted at 282-1535, Ext. 324 or dmendros@journaltribune.com.