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Board tables Danville Corner 44-home plan amid density and traffic questions
Summary
The Auburn Planning Board on Jan. 14 tabled a proposal for 44 single-family homes at Danville Corner, asking staff and the applicant to clarify whether the project should be counted as single-family or multifamily for density purposes and to address traffic and utility items.
The Auburn Planning Board on Jan. 14 tabled a proposal by Tim Millett (represented by Craig Sweet of Teradyne Consultants) to construct 44 single-family homes with two-car parking on a 7.27-acre parcel off Danville Corner Road. Staff asked the board for direction on how to treat the project for density calculations because the homes would be sold individually but the land would remain in common ownership.
Planning staff explained the zoning framework: in the applicable district, single-family homes are counted at 4 units per acre while multifamily dwellings are counted at 17 units per acre. Staff said the classification affects allowable density; because the proposed homes would remain under single ownership (the land retained by one owner or LLC while individual homes are sold), staff sought board guidance on whether to apply the multifamily density standard. The applicant’s team said they have arranged the site to meet the 30-foot building separation standard and that the project is intended to provide a lower-cost ownership option (smaller-lot single-family structures on a common parcel) targeted at first-time homebuyers or downsizers.
Public commenters raised traffic and safety concerns about the Washington Street intersection near the site and said the area is currently rural in character. Planning staff said the city is conducting a broader Washington Street study to consider safety fixes, including potential signalization or other traffic-control measures; staff said the project’s trips should be included in that study.
Board members discussed whether the development should be treated as multifamily because multiple dwelling units would occupy one complex, and whether that treatment would permit higher density or different unit configurations (duplexes or triplexes) that could raise overall unit counts. Staff noted alternatives the applicant could pursue to achieve the developer’s goals, including mixing attached units or reducing unit counts. Several board members asked for stronger maintenance and landscaping commitments in the approval language to avoid long-term decline.
The board voted to table the Danville Corner proposal to the Feb. 11, 2025 Planning Board meeting to allow the applicant and staff time to update plans, clarify density classification and address outstanding utility, snow-storage and site-detail items.
