Photo / William Hall
A view of the undeveloped parcel of land in Yarmouth that may become the site of a 24-unit apartment complex.
January 17, 2021
Yarmouth mulls 24-unit apartment complex along busy Route 1
Courtesy / Sebago Technics
A map shows the location of the two proposed apartment buildings, in orange.
By William Hall
The town of Yarmouth is considering plans for a 24-unit apartment complex that would squeeze between a densely populated residential neighborhood and a busy commercial stretch of U.S. Route 1.
The Planning Board next week will workshop a concept proposal by Portland-based LWS Development LLC for two buildings, each three stories high and with a footprint of 3,840 square feet, on a vacant 1.25-acre subdivision at 216 East Main St. The complex would also include 42 parking spaces.
The site, currently filled with scrub trees and undergrowth, borders Route 1 to the south and a day care center to the north. To the west is a branch of Cumberland County Federal Credit Union, and beyond that a shopping center with a Hannaford supermarket. To the east of the proposed apartments are a two-family house, garage and East Main Street.
The proposed development includes a half-acre of land acquired from the East Main Street property. An existing driveway there would be built out to provide vehicle access to the apartment complex.
Development manager Paul Peck hopes to begin construction of the Sweetser Apartments this fall, with the project complete in the spring of 2022, according to the subdivision application.
Grappling with growth
The proposal comes as Yarmouth grapples with questions of where and what kind of development make sense for the Portland suburb of 8,500.
In recent years, the town has adopted zoning regulations that have streamlined the development process in the Route 1 corridor and in the village area. Now more than three dozen projects are under review, and some residents have expressed concern over the looming growth.
A full-page advertisement last week in a community newspaper, the Forecaster, urged Yarmouth residents to become more involved in public discussions of development. “We need to slow down and engage more people in the process,” the anonymous ad said.
It cited the project at 216 East Main St., as well as four developments within a half-mile radius along Main Street: a 58-condo mixed use development at 48 Railroad Square, a 16-condo building at 298 Main St., a 9,100-square-foot expansion of the 317 Main St. arts center, and a community center at Mill Street.
“In the town’s rush to completion, they are overlooking the opportunity to integrate the cultural and community potential some of these projects could offer,” the ad said.
It also noted the March retirement of Town Planner Alex Jaegerman and several vacancies on the Planning Board, and claimed the pandemic “prevents the public from effectively participating” in the planning process.
The Planning Board workshop is scheduled to be held virtually on Wednesday, Jan. 27, at 7 p.m. More information and access instructions can be found here.
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