OLD ORCHARD BEACH — The Old Orchard Beach Planning Board is recommending a change that would allow multi-family dwellings on the first floor in the NC-3 district, located off the stretch of Saco Avenue between the Old Orchard Beach Police Department and MacDonald’s Garage.

The building in question, located at 20 Washington Ave., houses three residential units and two commercial units, including a laundromat. The applicant, D.E.C. Investments LLC, has said there is no longer a market for commercial business in the area and the open space in the building should be made available for a residential unit.

The ordinance for the NC-3 zoning district does not allow any residences on ground floor buildings in that area. According to information provided in a Planning Board memo from February, the ordinance was likely written when the area was still commercially viable. Since then, the area has become mostly residential.

The Planning Board has reviewed the proposal before, on Feb. 14 the board was given the opportunity to weigh in prior to the presentation of the formal ordinance change. During the April 11 meeting, Town Planner Jeff Hinderliter said the proposal hadn’t changed since previous viewings, and that the board was responsible for making a recommendation to accompany the amendment when it goes before the council.

The change to the ordinance, should the council pass it, would allow those who own spaces on the ground floor, at sidewalk level, to place residential dwellings there. The ordinance change would make all future projects subject to a conditional use review, which means that each proposed shift from commercial to residential will come before the Planning Board to ensure all uses are fitting.

“So we’re considering it as per-applicant, per building,” said Planning Board member Robin Dube during the April 11 meeting. “We just need to make sure people can’t just change it whenever they want.”

Planning Board Chairman Linda Mailhot called the ordinance change a “no brainer” and recommended the council approve it.

“The area is no longer an economic center,” Mailhot said. “It will be conditional use, and they’ll still have to come before Planning.”

Planning Board member Marianne Hubert questioned if it was possible to request that the ordinance change include a stipulation that parking be provided off-street for approval. Mailhot and Dube reiterated that each change would be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.

Ultimately, Planning Board member David Walker motioned to approve the ordinance change and send it to the Town Council for final approval. The motion passed 4-1, with Hubert in opposition.

The vote should come before council by the end of April.

Contact Staff Writer Abigail Worthing at news@inthecourier.com.