Planning board clears Franklin Drive multifamily project; approves lighting waiver and final subdivision with conditions

The Windham Planning Board on June 22 completed review of the Franklin Drive multifamily application and approved the subdivision with conditions. The project proposes two multifamily buildings totaling 306 apartments on a 7.88-acre parcel; the site includes 390 parking spaces, 154 bicycle parking spaces and a 6-foot public-access trail to Donabeth Lippman Park.

Rob McSorley of Sebago Technics presented the application and said the project holds the required state permits (site-location and traffic movement) and has secured a Maine general construction permit for stormwater. Natalie Thompson, town planner, reviewed conditions of approval including a transportation impact fee of $11,862.34 for 31 AM trips and the requirement that a common-elements maintenance plan be recorded if ownership changes.

The board approved a waiver to allow lighting that exceeds the ordinances 0.5 foot‑candle limit at the property boundary where building-mounted, cutoff fixtures slightly spill onto a sidewalk. The applicants lighting plan showed boundary levels near 1.0–1.4 foot‑candles in a few spots; the board amended the waiver motion to reference the submitted lighting specification (page 114 of the application) and voted unanimously to approve the waiver as amended. "The fixtures are building-mounted and cut-off; the spillage is limited to the sidewalk and drops quickly toward the roadway," the applicant said.

Later in the meeting the board moved and unanimously approved the final subdivision for PB 25-13 Franklin Drive with the staff-recommended findings and conditions. The motion included standard requirements for post-construction stormwater, GIS digital transfer, impact fee payment, and a requirement that a common-elements plan be produced if the property leaves single ownership.