Planning Board schedules site walk and continues Cascade Road athletic-complex review after initial completeness discussion

The Planning Board took an initial completeness-level look at a proposed athletic complex at Cascade Road (Map 48 Lots 5 and 6) on Feb. 18, and scheduled a site walk for the morning of March 4 to inspect building locations, the center line of proposed access roads, field layouts and wetlands. The board continued application review to March 4 to allow staff and applicants to return with additional materials.

Why it matters: The project would place an air-supported dome with an indoor synthetic turf field, six outdoor pickleball courts and a second turf field on a 12-acre parcel in the Portland Road district adjacent to Cascade Brook and mapped wetlands. It raises questions about shoreland setbacks, wetland impacts (the applicant reported about 4,500 square feet of wetland fill), lighting and stormwater management; the board said a coordinated review with a subdivision filing would be helpful.

Key points from the applicant and board discussion - Applicant presentation: Silas Ganavan (Atlantic Resource Consultants) described a phased plan: Phase 1 — a 75-foot-tall, air-supported dome with an indoor turf field and a 166-space parking lot; Phase 2 — an outdoor synthetic turf field, bleachers and amenities. Applicant said metered usage data from comparable facilities indicates very low wastewater volumes (roughly 100–200 gallons per day) and that DHHS accepted an initial conservative design approach; the applicant proposed an onsite septic sized at 600 gpd to be conservative. - Utilities and fire-safety questions: The site has public water on Cascade Road; sewer is more than several hundred feet away and would require a force-main and pump-station extension with substantial cost. The board asked the applicant to continue coordination with the Saco Fire Department and the State Fire Marshal to confirm sprinkler and life-safety requirements for the dome structure and to present backup/ventilation and blower strategies for an air-supported structure during power outages. - Environmental and regulatory matters: The applicant has DEP Tier 1 approval and submitted a Jurisdictional NWP package to the Army Corps for wetland impacts. Board members asked for shoreland zoning clarity and asked the applicant to minimize intrusion into RP/shoreland buffers where practical. The applicant requested two waivers (steeper-than-2:1 slopes with reinforced matting and limited right-of-way light spillage) and explained the steep slopes reduce wetland impacts and the entrance geometry produces right-of-way crossover of light that would be needed for a safe entrance. - Lighting: The applicant engaged a sports-lighting specialist (Musco Lighting) to present a field-lighting plan with vertical poles and LED optics designed to limit spill and glare off site. The board requested photometric plans and details showing compliance with city lighting standards.

Process and next steps: The board scheduled a site walk for March 4 at 8:00 a.m., directed the applicant to submit additional materials and continued completeness review to the March 4 packet so staff can include peer-review responses and subdivision materials. The board also requested coordination with the conservation commission and the city engineer prior to the next meeting.

Speakers quoted or referenced: Silas Ganavan (Atlantic Resource Consultants), Alan Grady (Musco Lighting), Emily Cole Prescott (City Planner), Jim Moyer (Planning Board member), Jeff Brochu (Planning Board member).