By Dawn De Busk

Staff Writer

CASCO — A pod of five single-family homes is being proposed in the Casco Village, in the space where two abandoned commercial buildings exist.

Hancock Lumber is proposing Old Mill Farms Project, which includes demolishing its old office and the Spurwink building, constructing five homes with 40 feet between them, turning two parking lots into greenspace and improving the Edes Falls Road entrance, and installing a dock on Pleasant Lake for homeowners that will allow only swimmers and non-motorized boats. Additionally, there will be two or three moorings 100 feet from the shore. 

The Casco Planning Board on Monday voted that the application was deemed complete, but did not approve the site plan at this juncture. Next, the site plan goes to a joint meeting of the planning board and the Casco Board of Selectmen. Most likely, that will happen in February.

The first time this residential-development project came before the planning board was autumn 2019. Initially, the idea was to use the same footprint as the multi-story commercial buildings — that formerly housed Spurwink and a Hancock Lumber office. At the request of the planning board, the height of the homes was downsized and the exterior was redesigned to better harmonize with the building in the village.

On Monday, Kevin Hancock presented the revised site plan as something that would revitalize Casco Village. He listed the five benefits of the proposal, and wrapped up with a personal connection to the village.

“It is a simple act of stewardship. The company Hancock Lumber operated on that site for decades. The village is part of the company’s history. The people of the village have been good to the company for decades,” he said. “The company is not interested in walking away from that site or leaving the Spurwink site abandoned. Instead, we want to leave the community with something fresh and modern.”

The concerns of the planning board were expressed later during the meeting.

Planning board member Ray Grant said he would be more comfortable with four homes in that space. 

“The density is too great for that piece of land. I think it would be a great thing for the town, but one house less or one lot less,” he said.  

Grant also asked for an exact location of the moorings. Make certain the moorings are not close to the fish hatchery intake pipes, he said.

Stan Buchanan asked for more details in the plan.

“The lack of details concerns me. The application needs to be more detailed because we cannot push it down the road all the time and say to be worked out later,” he said. “I would suggest you look through your materials you submitted, and include as many details as you can.” 

Earlier, Hancock had talked about the benefits: revitalizing the village, reducing the square footage, decreasing the density compared to when the lumber office and Spurwink were operating, increasing the tax base and adding value to the town. 

“First and foremost, this is a village regeneration project. The development would anchor the north end of Casco Village. The proposal is to replace two abandoned, dilapidated commercial buildings with five new, small homes that fit the design of the village,” Hancock said. 

“The second thing that is quite interesting about this proposal is that we are proposing a significant density reduction. This is a density-reducing project. Quite literally, we will reduce the square footage of buildings on the site,” he said. 

When both Hancock Lumber and Spurwink were operational, there was more density that what is being proposed, he said. Hancock Lumber had 20 people coming to work every day and an average of 10 visitors a day. That adds up to 30 people on the site per day. Meanwhile, Spurwink had 32 residents and staff on site, and between 20 and 30 visitors a day. The daily potential total is 60 people. An average of 90 humans a day parked somewhere and used the wastewater or septic system. 

“We are taking that site from two commercial enterprises to one residents’ pod. That is going to be a significant reduction in humans and vehicles,” Hancock said.

“If you look at economic value to the town: Spurwink was a non-profit so there was no property tax revenue to the town,” he said, adding that when the non-profit tried to sell the building, there was a public auction but no bidders, he said. 

“The Hancock building is a crazy nonconforming building that is literally sinking into the ground. Neither one of these have much value,” Hancock said. “When this project is done with five small houses, there will be $2.5 million of real estate value.”

An environmental benefit is the plan to turn parking areas with asphalt into green space on both sides of Edes Fall Road. Lastly, there is the benefit of having a known plan versus an unknown future for the site. 

“If we don’t develop the site, how long will the buildings stand there abandoned? Or what would eventually go there,” Hancock said. 

Casco Town Planner Tom DuBois explained what the board should do next.

“We need to formalize a complete application. Secondarily, you are entering into an agreement. Inform the applicant what you are agreeing to. Inform the applicant what is expected,” he said. 

“This agreement doesn’t stop tonight. You go to selectboard, and you can add things to that. Then, to a public hearing and you can add to that if there are things that the board forgot to consider,” DuBois said.