A large crowd turns out to learn about a proposed use for a former nursing home.
By Cora C. Briggs
Special to the Sun Journal

LIVERMORE FALLS – It was standing room only Wednesday night as area residents crowded into the town office meeting to learn about the proposed use of the former Parkview Nursing Home.

The applicant, Western Maine Assessment Inc., gave a slide presentation of the plan led by Katie Madore, clinical program director, and Chris Campbell, accountant.

Madore explained the 12 residents would all be boys ranging in age from 6 to 12. They generally stay in the facility for three to six months to stabilize them before they go to foster care or to be adopted, she said.

The youths are referred by the Department of Human Services because they come from unsafe environments and need to be nurtured, to get healthy physically and emotionally, require counseling, education and supervision.

The goal is to support the children through a transition, to become healthy and productive citizens and to stop the cycle of unhealthyness, she said.

Work is also done with the parents in learning parenting and communication skills. The state pays for the services but does not run the facility.

Campbell said the facility would provide 50 jobs with benefits, purchases would be made locally and the facility would be added to the tax rolls.

Presently, the company is affiliated with the University of Maine at Farmington, Swift River Health Care, Tri-County Mental Health Services and SAD 44. Here, Western Maine Assessment would seek to add affiliation of local professionals and SAD 36. “It’s a win-win situation for the children, the parents and the community,” he said.

Education would be done in-house, the children would not be mainstreamed into the local system, residents were assured.

One resident complained about his grandson’s treatment in a facility in Dixfield, which he said was run by the company, but that later was denied by Armand Madore, the applicant, who said he does not run the Dixfield facility and has no others of this type in the state.

He does, however, have a 50-acre campus in Woodstock for different children, who he described as older children with different problems. He has operated that facility successfully for five years, he said.

After the many questions, Planning Board members agreed the site plan was complete as submitted, except for the certified mail receipts from abutters.

Since that was deemed as not being the applicant’s responsibility, as he had received incomplete information from the former code enforcement officer, a date was set for a public hearing at 6 p.m. July 16, the board’s regular meeting night.

The location of the hearing will be announced as it was agreed that the selectmen’s meeting room was too small for the number of residents who wish to attend.

Another site plan application, by William Sullivan for an auto parts store in the Shoppers’ Mall, was quickly approved.

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