LEWISTON – An overwhelming vote of approval Monday night moved plans for a new Farwell School toward more detailed planning and a citywide referendum in early December.

In a straw vote of mostly neighbors, the proposed $10 million project received 85 affirmative votes and only one in opposition. That resident said he voted no because he believes too many questions remain unanswered.

This second straw vote and future votes are required by the state. A negative outcome on any of them would stop the planning and construction process.

There were several questions about the size and location of play areas. Linda Golding, Farwell School principal, said fewer students would be on the playground at one time under the plans for the new school. At present, she said, there may be as many as 80 of the 325 students outdoors, but the number would be reduced to about 40.

Golding also responded to questions about the location of a crossing guide and sidewalk approaches to the new building. She said some of those details remain to be worked out.

Herb Semple of Semple and Drane Architects explained how traffic patterns will bring buses onto the property to load and unload at the front entrance. He also showed plans for parking in front, on land that is now the footprint of the existing school.

The new school would be built behind the present school, and the 50-year-old Farwell School would be demolished.

In response to a question about moving the new structure closer to Farwell Street, he said putting it on the present school footprint raises scheduling problems and increases cost. It is better to build the new school at the back while the old building is being torn down, he said.

He and Golding noted that there are significant problems in the old school. They and several members of the public emphasized that a negative vote would probably ruin the chance to build a new Farwell School any time in the next 20 years.

Leon Levesque, Lewiston’s superintendent of schools, said the state would pay for 47 percent of the $10 million project, and the city would pay 53 percent. There is a proposal for the city to put up an additional $500,000 to increase the size of the gymnasium.

Levesque said the capacity of the proposed school would be 400 to 425 students.

The project time line calls for completion in late 2007. In earlier stages of planning, it was decided that the school will be built on the present site, and that Farwell will remain a neighborhood school.

If a positive vote is recorded in December’s referendum, design development and contract document development would take place through 2005. Bids would be sought in early 2006, final funding approval would be adopted, and construction would begin around March of 2006.

While construction is underway, students would be transferred to a temporary location. Levesque said officials have not yet determined that location, or how the transfer might be implemented.