By Amanda Estes

Staff Writer

    The four story office condominium building proposed
for 100 Waterman Drive by Andrew Ingalls now has a name, Fore River
Office Park, and likely a future in South Portland as planning board
members expressed their support for a structure that can support a
variety of uses.

        During the project’s
preliminary subdivision review on Aug. 14, however, planning board
member Don Russell felt there had not been enough consideration for the
frequent dumpster pickups and deliveries that a restaurant would
require. He said his support of the project was based on a very
specific use of retail on the building’s first floor and expressed
concern about the possibility of a four-story office building, as it is
“not what downtown South Portland needs now.”  

        On June 4, the city council
voted 5-2, with Ralph Baxter and Jim Hughes opposed, to amend the
city’s zoning ordinance to include the 90-100 Waterman Drive property
in the Knightville Design District and the Village Commercial (VC)
zoning district in order for Ingalls to take advantage of the
districts’ 50-foot height limit and minimum front yard setback
requirements. The amendment paved the way for Ingalls to build a
structure 15 feet taller and 15 feet closer to Waterman Drive than
previously allowed.

    As proposed, the Fore River Office Park will be a
four-story, 48-feet high building. The 31,668 square feet building will
be accessed via two existing curb cuts on B and C Streets. The site
will support 75 parking spaces and extensive landscaping.

    John Ryan, of Wright-Ryan Construction, said the
project will be a sustainable site and efforts will be made to reduce
impervious surfaces, treat storm water, reduce irrigation requirements
and “reduce the heat island effect” using landscaping and roofing
materials with high degrees of solar reflectors.

    Ryan also said his company will use materials with a high level of recycled content.   

    While Knightville residents were largely in favor of
a three-story building and the site improvements that would come with
it, many opposed a four-story building because they felt it would be
out of scale in the mixed-use neighborhood. Ingalls maintained that a
four-story building would be more attractive and open up the
possibility for retail and a restaurant on the first floor.

        Ingalls said he was talking
to interested parties that may want to purchase the whole building for
an office use. Responding to Russell’s comments, Ingalls stressed he
never guaranteed retail on the first floor, as that is something the
market will dictate.

    “From the very beginning of this project – we made it clear that I don’t control the market,” Ingalls said.

    With the glass storefronts and the possibility of
subdividing the first floor into three units, Ingalls said the building
was suited for retail, but said he cannot hold off on selling the
units, waiting for a retail business to come in.

    Other planning board members said while they were
hopeful the project would interest a retail tenant, they understood
that Ingalls could not make any guarantees.

    “There are possibilities in what they’re looking
for,” said Craig Babbidge. “As a planning board, I don’t think we have
the right to tell you who can go in your building and who can’t.”

    One perspective that several members shared was
their understanding that the building’s facade would face Waterman
Drive and the Casco Bay Bridge, however, the plans reflected a
different orientation  

    “The people that were in support of this talked
about this building being sort of a gateway, coming over the bridge,
seeing this building and what it would mean to the city and what it
would elicit to someone coming over the bridge,” said Mark Gandolfo.

    Architect David Lloyd said the building will be
sited close to Waterman Drive so it will be set on the edge of the
neighborhood instead of in the neighborhood.  

    Shawn Frank and Kiley Mason of Sebago Technics said
pulling the parking away from the building allows for the creation of a
plaza at the front entrance. Mason said the storefront, facing Waterman
Drive, will be lined with a fence, roses and ash trees.

    Caroline Hendry questioned how the building will be
accessible to pedestrians. Hendry, who recused herself from voting on
the zoning amendment, said earlier in the meeting, she sought City
Attorney Mary Kahl’s opinion about whether or not she should also
recuse herself from the preliminary review.  The board voted
unanimously, with Judy Carpenter absent, to allow Hendry to participate
as she said she felt it was more useful for her to participate as a
planning board member than a member of the public.

    “The building can very easily be opened up to
pedestrian traffic from Waterman Drive and that’s our intent because we
don’t know exactly what the use will be,” said Ingalls.

    While sidewalks run along the outer edges of the
site, Frank said there will need to be some coordination to connect
walkways from the building to the sidewalks that the city plans to
install as part of the improvements to Waterman Drive aimed at making
the road more of a boulevard.

    Babbidge, a project manager for Maietta
Construction, suggested Ingalls and his team coordinate with the city
as soon as possible as his crews are in the process of installing light
pole bases along the road.        

    Director of Planning and Development Tex Haeuser
said the project could be before the board for final approval Sept. 11.