FARMINGTON – Planning Board members will review a site proposal for a new five-story, 100-bed residence hall on the University of Maine at Farmington campus at 1 p.m. Tuesday, May 25.

Originally on the docket at the most recent Planning Board meeting, members made no decisions concerning the acceptance of the site application and, as a result, scheduled this site walk.

Located between Lincoln and Perkin streets, the site now has a 9,350-square-foot gravel parking area and three university-owned converted residential buildings. The buildings, which house the university recycling center and honors building, are scheduled to remain for the time being.

Thirty-five parking spots would be lost with the removal of the parking area, college officials say, but more would be made available at another location for students living in the hall. The new site would also include a bicycle rack.

The proposed dormitory would take up about 7,615 square feet, with a gross square footage of the project of about 36,285 feet.

The new dormitory was brought about due to a growing demand by upperclassmen to stay on campus, according to the college.

This year, 1,040 students have lived on campus, with about 85 percent of them first-year students.

According to university spokesman Tom Donoghue, the university does not intend to exceed its 2,000 student enrollment cap. But it does want to accommodate the demand for more housing for upperclassmen.

The proposed residence hall is expected to be occupied year-round by students and various university-related groups. If all goes as planned, the dorm will be ready for the fall of 2005.

The construction budget for the project is $4.2 million. A public hearing is scheduled for the next Planning Board meeting June 14.

All interested parties are encouraged to attend the site walk.

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