BIDDEFORD — After viewing the site and having a brief discussion Wednesday, the Planning Board unanimously approved the site plans for the addition and renovation of Biddeford High School on Maplewood Avenue.

The first phases of construction ”“ on the project voters approved last year ”“ are set to begin as soon as classes let out in June.

In November, a majority of residents voted in favor of a $34 million bond to renovate the high school, which was built in 1961 with an addition in 1971.

The bond will pay for a two-story addition, which will include a new, secure main entrance, with administrative offices on the first floor and a library on the second floor, as well as major renovations throughout the school.

Planning Board approval will allow the project to move forward.

Prior to the vote, consultants from Harriman Associates, who have been working on the project since its inception, led Planning Board members on a tour of the exterior of the site.

They showed board members where the addition would be built, which will be on the side of the building closest to South Street. A paved entry plaza will be added, said Jeffrey Larimer, of Harriman Associates.

Buses will be let out near that entrance, said Larimer, and Maplewood Avenue will be widened to accommodate a new 10-foot bus lane.

The curbing and walkway will be improved, he said, and the Victory Bell will be relocated across the street from its current placement and located near the new entryway.

The current main entrance with the cement steps leading up to it will be removed and the blue window wall facing Maplewood Avenue will be removed and replaced by brick.

The sidewalk and curbing along Maplewood Avenue will be improved and upgraded, while the parking lot across Maplewood Avenue will be replaced and expanded.

The Planning Board took a short trip through a wooded area along the side and behind the main parking lot to look at areas which could potentially be designated as significant vernal pools.

That designation is unlikely, said Dan Diffin of Harriman Associates. A wildlife expert hired by the firm has visited the site twice and at those times neither area fit the criteria. A third visit by the expert is scheduled for next week, when the final determination will be made.

Even if one or both areas are designated as significant vernal pools, said Diffin, because the parking lot site is already disturbed and no trees or wetlands will be removed, there should be no effect on the project.

Construction of the parking lot, the foundation for the new addition and an elevator and stairwell will begin as soon as classes let out, said Larimer.

The parking lot is scheduled to be completed prior to the new school year in September.

When the project was discussed before the Planning Board earlier this year, several neighbors of the high school who live on Highland Avenue  complained about the condition of the street and ask that it be repaired in conjunction with the renovation.

The Public Works Department plans to make improvements to Highland Avenue and time them with the renovation, said Planning Board Director Greg Tansley.

Highland Avenue residents also expressed concerns about possible traffic problems. Planning Board member James Hoover raised the issue that parents dropping off students and exiting the school onto Highland Avenue may cause problems in the future.

“We always address concerns of neighbors,” said Superintendent of Schools Sarah-Jane Poli in response.

She said few students are dropped off by parents and there should be less traffic in general on Highland Avenue after the renovations are completed than there is currently.

During construction, material for the work will be brought to the site via Maplewood Avenue, noted Diffin, not on Highland Avenue.

Also Wednesday, the board granted two waivers for the project. One was for a traffic study, as consultants said such a study is not needed because there would not be an increase in traffic at the site due to the renovation.

The other waiver was for a landscape buffer for the parking lot on Maplewood Avenue. Consultants explained that school administrators wanted to have a clear view of the lot for security purposes.

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