Developers preview 228-unit Twin Falls redevelopment at Westbrook workshop; residents press for invasive-species, trail and traffic plans

Developers presented a revised plan on Tuesday to build 228 apartment units in seven three-story buildings at the former Twin Falls Golf Course (500 Spring Street), and board members and residents pressed the team for more detail on invasive-species management, ledge removal and traffic and trail connections.

Civil engineer Sean Toby of Haley Ward told the board the approximately 61–62 acre site would host 228 units with a mix of one- and two-bedroom apartments clustered away from wetlands, and that the plan provides 409 parking spaces (about 1.79 spaces per unit). Toby described a large wet pond for stormwater treatment, a private pump station that would discharge to Miles Lane, underground utilities, LED dark-sky-compliant lighting and a central clubhouse and amenity area.

Architect Aubrey Bennett of Market Square Architects said the design draws on a contemporary New England vocabulary—three building types with gable and shed roofs, covered entrances and stone-veneer bases—and noted the team plans simple linear garages scattered on the site.

During public comment, Jen Bonta of Miles Lane asked for a comprehensive invasive-species management plan, citing a nearly one-third-acre stand of Japanese knotweed visible in aerial imagery dating to the 1990s. "I would like to request that the board require an invasive species management plan for this site," Bonta said. The applicant replied that invasive-species removal and disposal provisions will be added to the landscape plan. "We'll definitely have provisions for removing the knotweed," Sean Toby said.

Residents also asked about ledge removal along Spring Street. Toby said some ledge could be hammered out while harder ledge may require blasting; blasting procedures and permits are included in the DEP application and will be reviewed by the state.

Paul Dryden (477 Saco Street) asked whether trail connections shown in earlier iterations—linking into the Landing Road trail network—would be reconsidered. The applicant said land south of the Stroudwater River is currently in a conservation easement and the project team intends to deed that land to the Presumpscot Land Trust; they are exploring conveying additional acreage to expand conserved area and to coordinate a trail network, though connections to Landing Road would require agreements with other abutters.

Staff told the applicant the final application must include a formal open-space plan and that the Westbrook Recreation and Conservation Commission will review and comment on it. Board members asked for native Maine plantings, suggested berming and expanded street-edge landscaping along Spring Street, and requested elevation views and 3-D renderings, including garage designs, to better assess the project's visibility from the road. A board member also asked for comparative parking data from similar Westbrook developments and flagged traffic and pedestrian safety on Spring Street; the applicant said the team held a Maine DOT scoping meeting and plans to widen bike lanes, formalize sidewalks and add a left-turn pocket as part of traffic permitting.

Board members recommended a site walk to review the large property in person and the applicant said it will update visual materials and coordinate potential site visits and future presentations to respond to the board's requests. The item remained in workshop; the applicant and staff said they will return with the final application, open-space plan and additional materials after DEP and other reviews.