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Planning Board finds Flag Pond Road rezoning application complete, schedules April 7 public hearing
Summary
BAS Holdings seeks to rezone two Flag Pond Road parcels from industrial to the Portland Road District for potential mixed-use development; the Planning Board deemed the application complete and set a public hearing for April 7 after questioning about wetlands, traffic and access.
The Saco Planning Board on March 3 found an application to rezone two parcels on Flag Pond Road from industrial to the Portland Road District complete and set a public hearing for April 7.
Drew Gagnum, representing BAS Holdings Company LLC, told the board the parcels (map 76, lots 12-2 and 13), about 60 acres combined, currently contain significant wetlands and limited upland pockets. He said the applicant is seeking the Portland Road zoning because a mixed-use development is an authorized use in that district and the site’s utility and environmental constraints make industrial development difficult. He emphasized that no final plans exist and that density figures included in the application materials were illustrative.
Board members pressed the applicant on access, whether rezoning would landlock nearby industrial parcels, and the relationship of the site to the turnpike. "These parcels are currently an industrial zoning district and we're requesting an amendment to the Portland Road District," Gagnum said, noting wetlands and roadway constraints that he said favor residential or mixed-use outcomes over heavy industrial uses.
City planner Charles Tedleman reminded the board that its role on zoning map amendments is to make a recommendation to City Council; the council will hold the final hearing and make the ultimate decision. After questions and discussion about access, environmental constraints and consistency with the 2022 comprehensive plan, the board voted 6-0 to declare the application complete and unanimously scheduled a public hearing for April 7, 2026.
The public comment period earlier in the meeting included neighbors who urged low-density residential zoning and raised traffic and safety concerns at the Flag Pond Road overpass. Paul Santore, speaking as the president of his homeowners association, said the materials had referenced "200 condo units" and that such density would raise traffic and safety concerns at the overpass.
Next steps: the applicant will proceed with required notices and the city will hold the public hearing on April 7; the Planning Board will then forward its recommendation to City Council.
