TOPSHAM
A proposed senior housing project at the Elm Street site of a former nursing home gained preliminary subdivision approval Tuesday.
Seacoast Management Company wants to buy and tear down the former Amenity Manor nursing home at 29 Elm St., and replaceit with a 2 / – story, 11,000-square-foot building with 32 to 36 apartments for senior citizens.
The new building, River Landing Senior Community, would be half the size of the footprint of the existing building.
On Tuesday, the Planning Board granted preliminary subdivision approval and continued its review of the site plan and shoreland zoning applications.
Town Planner Rich Roedner said Seacoast indicated it would submit additional materials later this month in time for the Aug. 20 Planning Board meeting.
The board will review the site plan and shoreland zoning applications, and consider final subdivision plan approval, at that meeting.
The project is within a historic district, which triggers additional review. Roedner said the town’s Historic District Commission has granted a “certificate of appropriateness” for demolition of the existing house on the property. Now there is a waiting period before the certificate becomes final.
The commission also last week granted a certificate of appropriateness for construction of the new building, Roedner said.
Also Tuesday:
— The Planning Board approved both the site plan application and the site location of a new private access road to Route 196 for FCM LLC’s property at 120 Old Lisbon Road. Roedner said the applicant is planning to construct a long driveway and develop an outdoor parking area to be used for truck and trailer parking.
— Harry C. Crooker and Sons was granted a permit to blast at Highland Green for units located off Red Maple Drive.
— The board voted to recommend selectmen pass an amendment to the land-use table that would allow light manufacturing in the Business Park 2 District while prohibiting outside storage. The amendment will now go to selectmen for possible inclusion on the Sept. 25 town meeting warrant.
Roedner said that allowing light manufacturing, with no outside storage, broadens the opportunity of potential buyers to redevelop the property at Topsham Commercial Park at the former Navy annex, which is zoned PB2.
dmoore@timesrecord.com
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