FARMINGTON – Planning Board members, along with representatives from the University of Maine at Farmington, took part in a site walk of the proposed five story 100-bed residence hall Monday afternoon.

Landscape architect Peter Biegel of SYTDesign Consultants of Cumberland gave the walking tour of the 9,350-square-foot site and was able to answer all questions from those in attendance. The corners of the dormitory were even marked off with stakes and gave a realistic assessment of the land being used.

Code Enforcement Officer Steven Kaiser walked the site as well and called the construction of the new dorm, “one of the biggest building projects the university has seen in quite a while.”

Among some of the problems addressed by Biegel were drainage and runoff concerns, as well as questions about the building slope design. “Very little water will infiltrate on the ground surface,” said Biegel in reference to catch basins surrounding the site.

There were also talks about the future development of a 5-foot sidewalk on the side of Lincoln Street opposite the student parking area. The sidewalk would lead to an entrance of the new dorm and a pathway could possibly take the place of the current university honors building.

The site walk was sparked by some points of concern brought up at the last Planning Board meeting, but Planning Board members seemed pleased with the evaluation.

The budget for the project is $4.2 million and according to UMF Facility Management Director Bob Lawrence, if all goes as planned, the construction will begin this fall and the scheduled opening of the dormitory will be in the fall of 2005.

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