By Jodi Hausen,Staff Writer

FARMINGTON – Planning Board members voted Tuesday to table until their next meeting a proposal for an apartment building for homeless teens.

The apartments would be behind Rite Aid at Oakes Street and Thomas McClellan Road, will be used to house homeless young adults.

According to Code Enforcement Officer Steve Kaiser, about seven neighbors voiced concerns about the proposal.

The foremost concern was clientele, said Ernie Gurney, a social worker for New Beginnings, the Lewiston-based agency that provides low-income transitional housing for 18- to 21-year-olds.

Gurney helps clients to acquire skills that lead to good jobs and stable, independent living situations. He works with 45 to 50 clients annually, helping them with education, training and life skills. He works collaboratively with organizations such as the Children’s Task Force, Career Center and SAD 9 Adult Education.

Gurney said he was pleased to have the opportunity to address neighbors’ apprehension and thinks their fears were calmed.

“I think we responded well to that,” he said.

Discussions about who will live in a proposed housing unit, however, is not pertinent to the decision the Planning Board is obligated to make, according to Kaiser.

“I give (the Planning Board) credit for allowing that conversation to happen,” Gurney said.

Another concern from Ron Greenwood, who owns property across the street from the site, was safety on the road. The location of the driveway may cause a hazard, he thought.

Planning Board members also had concerns about soil erosion and drainage, according to Gurney. They decided to wait on a decision until they had an opportunity to have the plans independently reviewed and they could do a site walk.

The organization had hoped to have construction completed and the facility open by mid- to late summer, in time to provide housing for colder weather, said Gurney. It was unclear if the decision of the board would delay the group’s plans.

The board will visit the site April 6 and take up the proposal at its next meeting April 11.