FARMINGTON – At their Monday meeting, the Planning Board will rule on whether the University of Maine at Farmington can put in a permanent parking lot in the flood plain of the Sandy River.

The college has proposed a 108-space lot to be built on Prescott Field, just off of Front Street. Currently, students are allowed to park on the grass at the site; however, the new lot would be made of packed gravel and would be raised about 3 feet.

Raising the lot is in response to an incident in December when ice jammed the Sandy River and heavy rains caused fast flooding to partially submerge 39 student vehicles parked in the lot.

As a result, the school shelled out around $70,000 from an emergency fund to help cover the uninsured losses.

UMF’s lot proposal has been reviewed by Lou Sidell, flood plain coordinator for the Maine State Planning Office, said Steve Kaiser, code enforcement officer for Farmington. Sidell has said the college’s plan looks sound, which Kaiser said is usually a good sign.

The Planning Board will also review an application from Foothills Arts Center, a nonprofit community arts organization that hopes to convert the former medical offices of Dr. David Hurst and Dr. Melissa Weekley on Route 133 into an arts center.

Kaiser said the plan also includes Foothills building two small additions onto the current building. The organization has not yet purchased the building and is in the midst of a campaign to raise the $300,000 or so needed to buy it.

Another application that was tabled two years ago will go before the board. The Department of Conservation has applied to put a 39 space parking lot at the trail head of the rail-trail multi-use recreational trail in West Farmington.

The board will also take up two familiar applications, both which have been continued to this meeting.

Scott and Thomas Dillon are proposing two large subdivisions, East Grand View Estates and West Grand View Estates, off Osborne Road.

Kaiser said the Dillons have added an interior road on the east side to their proposal. It’s the largest subdivision proposal that has come before the town in several decades, the code enforcement officer noted.

For this reason, the board is reviewing is closely. Kaiser said he doubts they will make a final decision on the matter on Monday night pointing out there was still more work to be done.

A final application is from Farmington Ford, which is hoping to move down the road from the current 361 Wilton Road location onto 9.37 acres next to the Irving Big Stop restaurant on the Wilton Road.

According to the application submitted by Main-Land Development Consultants on behalf of Farmington Ford owner Stewart White, the new dealership would be comprised of a 72-foot by 211-foot, 4-inch building and 247 parking spaces. The site would be accessed by a driveway from Routes 2/4.

The project would start this summer, the application stated.

The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. on Monday, April 12, at the town office. A complete agenda is available on the town’s Web site at www.farmington-maine.org.
[email protected]