WESTBROOK – Westbrook officials are weighing public opinion about the proposed sale and development of Prides Corner Elementary School, a plan that could turn the closed building into a 98-unit apartment complex.

The city held a neighborhood meeting Wednesday night, after the American Journal’s deadline, at the Prides Corner Congregational Church to gauge public reaction to the plan, especially from residents who live in the immediate area.

The City Council will weigh input from that meeting in deciding whether to sell the land and move the project along to the Westbrook Planning Board, which would need to re-zone the property to accommodate the proposed development.

The proposal calls for the 9.5-acre lot to be sold to V&E Enterprises Inc. of South Portland for $650,000, which is less than the property’s assessed value of $851,200.

A 2,800-square-foot lot on Bridgton Road, once part of the school parcel, has been split off from the total property and will be sold separately.

The developer, Vincent Maietta, owner of V&E Enterprises Inc., intends to convert the former school into one-, two- and three-bedroom, market-rate apartments. Depending on the cost of the project, the school building could make up the base of the complex, with additional floors added, or the building could be razed and replaced with four or five smaller buildings scattered throughout the lot.

Maietta said Monday that the agreement is contingent on a development containing 98 units.

“The city is adamant that they at least get a certain amount of money for the property,” he said. “If we were to go with less than that number of units, then we wouldn’t be able to pay that much for the property.”

Maietta, who also said he planned to attend the meeting Wednesday, added that if Westbrook residents don’t want this proposal to move forward, he doesn’t see his company coming up with an alternate plan unless he paid a lower price for the property.

“There would be no hard feelings, but it just wouldn’t work,” he said.

Krista Martin, 43, said Monday that her family has owned properties on Brook Street since the 1930s and that her children were the third generation to attend Prides Corner Elementary prior to the school’s closure. She said her initial concern is the immediate pressure a large-scale complex such as the one proposed could put on the area.

“I would think this means an influx of possibly a couple hundred kids coming into our schools that are already overcrowded,” she said. “I feel like we’re putting the cart before the horse.”

The Westbrook school district is facing crowding issues. In September, school officials unveiled a plan to rehab a portable classroom, once part of the Prides Corner school, for use at Saccarappa Elementary School in order to address space concerns. The classroom is set to open the second week of November.

Martin, who planned to attend Wednesday’s meeting, added that the 98-unit plan seems like “a tremendous amount,” and said the area might be better served by condo or duplex units.

“I don’t think the infrastructure of this area can house a complex of that size,” she said. “I think we need to do something. I just don’t think this proposal is the right choice for Ward 5.”

City Administrator Jerre Bryant said Tuesday that while concern about the scale of the proposal is warranted, the city is simply looking at ways to produce residential growth, which is beneficial for the city.

“Do we want to prohibit residential development? I don’t think so, but I think the legitimate concern here should be, ‘Is the density too high?’ ” he said. “I think that’s the real question on this project.”

Bryant added that, as of now, the Prides Corner property would permit roughly 40 units, which is less than half of what is being proposed by the developer, without rezoning approval.

Bryant said Tuesday that the city would be willing to negotiate the price of the property if a majority of residents oppose the 98-unit model.

“If what comes out of this is that the density of the project is just too much for the neighborhood, then I think we’ll go back and have further discussions,” he said. “It’s a push and pull.”

V&E Enterprises put a $10,000 down payment on the property on Oct. 10, but Maietta said that if Westbrook decides against his plan, he’ll get his money back, and the city would put the property back on the market.

While there may be varying opinions circulating on the proposal, most agree that public input is an important part of the process. Bryant said that ever since Westbrook put the property on the market, the city has been seeking out public opinion, and planned Wednesday’s meeting to gain similar input.

Ward 5 City Councilor Michael Sanphy said Monday that he has been fielding questions from residents who want to know more about the plan.

“I am getting calls from a lot of people concerned that this is a done deal, and I assured them that it is not,” he said. “I want to make sure that the public’s questions and concerns are brought out.”

Maietta said that while he hopes the neighborhood meeting may put some concerns to rest, he knows the proposal still has more hoops to jump through.

“We’re certainly aware that this is far from a done deal, until everything is vetted in the public eye and everybody agrees on what they want to see there,” he said. “If they don’t want 98 units, then we certainly don’t want to disrupt the neighborhood. We won’t be offended.”

If the purchase and sale agreement and land transfer proposal are approved by the City Council Monday, the land transfer is required to go to a second reading before the proposal can move to the Planning Board for review.

Planning Board Chairman Ed Reidman said Tuesday that the board has yet to see the proposal. After review, a recommendation would be sent back to the City Council.

A plan for the former Prides Corner Elementary School is the focus of a public meeting in Westbrook this week.