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CHAM and Acorn Engineering propose 10-unit affordable building at 48 Waterville Road
Summary
Community Housing of Maine and Acorn Engineering presented plans to replace two vacant multifamily buildings with a new 10-unit affordable housing building at 48 Waterville Road; the proposal includes a rain garden, 11 parking stalls, dark-sky lighting and accessibility features, and drew detailed questions from the board on insulation, sprinklers and site access.
Representatives for Community Housing of Maine (CHAM) and Acorn Engineering presented a preliminary site plan to redevelop 48 Waterville Road into a 10-unit affordable apartment building.
"We are a nonprofit affordable housing developer," CHAM development director Bridal Case said, introducing the proposal and saying the project would bring “10 new units of, new construction, quality affordable housing to your community.” Civil engineer Nate Holt described the parcel as just under 0.5 acre and noted the plan includes 11 parking stalls, a paved drive aisle meeting town requirements, evergreen buffers on both property lines, two 15-foot dark-sky-compliant light poles, and a rain garden designed to treat parking-lot runoff and reduce peak discharge into the town’s MS4 system.
Architect Ryan Senator outlined interior layouts: two one-bedroom units and common program space on the first floor and four two-bedroom units on each upper floor for a total of 10 units. Presenters confirmed the design will include insulation between units and a sprinkler system; they said the lower-floor units will be accessible but the building has no elevator. “This will be a very energy efficient building,” the architect said, and CHAM said rents will generally be set at income-restricted levels (around 60% of area median income) though exact rents were not provided.
Board members pressed on grading and pedestrian connectivity amid a roughly seven-foot grade change from the building to Front Street; presenters said ADA ramping at a 5% slope is part of the plan and that the building orientation prioritizes a street presence with a backdoor gathering area rather than direct sidewalk connections to the steep grade.
Presenters said servicing utilities had not raised concerns in preliminary contact and that the project team would reach out to the fire department for review. The applicant said they hope to break ground in the fall, pending the formal application and permitting process.
