GORHAM – Gorham Planning Board members on Monday for the first time viewed plans to turn the old White Rock School into apartments for seniors and appeared to like what they saw.

“I’m very pleased to see a good, productive use of the property,” George Fox, a member of the Planning Board said in Monday’s meeting.

Jon and Cindy Smith of JCS3 LLC, who bought the property from the town for $1, are asking for permission to convert the property at 10 North Gorham Road into apartments that eventually could be sold as condos.

The Smiths’ agent is Mark St. Germain of St. Germain Collins in Westbrook. Wanda Emery of St. Germain Collins attended this week’s meeting. No one from the public commented in the public hearing, and a date for a site walk was not set.

The project at the 13.2-acre site is named Perennial Place at White Rock. The single-story brick school, which opened in 1962, closed in 2011 when the new Great Falls Elementary School opened.

Jon Smith said the units would be mostly one-bedroom apartments with a few with two bedrooms.

“The building will be sprinkled,” Smith said.

The project plans include a community room and 12 storage sheds. The existing corridor in the former school will remain and a canopy would be added over the front entrance.

Each apartment would have 250-square feet of private outdoor space.

“Our intent is to make them condominiums,” Jon Smith said. “Our plan is to rent them for now.”

Plans called for 24 parking spaces, but some planners offered input on the parking design. Edward Zelmanow, Planning Board chairman, advocated for additional parking for visitors, and Planning Board member Tom Hughes asked Jon Smith to consider a covered parking area.

“I wouldn’t want to add pavement for parking,” Melinda Shain, Planning Board vice chairwoman, said.

The project would utilize an existing septic system and a 550-foot well on the property. For five years the town would retain right to use the athletic fields that include two baseball diamonds, and courts for tennis and basketball.

The Smiths would invest $800,000 in the renovation. “It sounds like a really good plan,” Zelmanow said.

Jon Smith shows plans on Monday to convert the former White Rock Elementary School into 12 apartments for people over 55. 

GORHAM – Gorham Planning Board members on Monday for the first time viewed plans to turn the old White Rock School into apartments for seniors and appeared to like what they saw.

“I’m very pleased to see a good, productive use of the property,” George Fox, a member of the Planning Board said in Monday’s meeting.

Jon and Cindy Smith of JCS3 LLC, who bought the property from the town for $1, are asking for permission to convert the property at 10 North Gorham Road into apartments that eventually could be sold as condos.

The Smiths’ agent is Mark St. Germain of St. Germain Collins in Westbrook. Wanda Emery of St. Germain Collins attended this week’s meeting. No one from the public commented in the public hearing, and a date for a site walk was not set.

The project at the 13.2-acre site is named Perennial Place at White Rock. The single-story brick school, which opened in 1962, closed in 2011 when the new Great Falls Elementary School opened.

Jon Smith said the units would be mostly one-bedroom apartments with a few with two bedrooms.

“The building will be sprinkled,” Smith said.

The project plans include a community room and 12 storage sheds. The existing corridor in the former school will remain and a canopy would be added over the front entrance.

Each apartment would have 250-square feet of private outdoor space.

“Our intent is to make them condominiums,” Jon Smith said. “Our plan is to rent them for now.”

Plans called for 24 parking spaces, but some planners offered input on the parking design. Edward Zelmanow, Planning Board chairman, advocated for additional parking for visitors, and Planning Board member Tom Hughes asked Jon Smith to consider a covered parking area.

“I wouldn’t want to add pavement for parking,” Melinda Shain, Planning Board vice chairwoman, said.

The project would utilize an existing septic system and a 550-foot well on the property. For five years the town would retain right to use the athletic fields that include two baseball diamonds, and courts for tennis and basketball.

The Smiths would invest $800,000 in the renovation. “It sounds like a really good plan,” Zelmanow said.

Jon Smith shows plans on Monday to convert the former White Rock Elementary School into 12 apartments for people over 55.