LIVERMORE FALLS — The Planning Board voted 4-0 Wednesday to approve a site plan review application for the redevelopment of the Rusty Lantern Market at 1247 Park St.

The $5.5 million investment will include demolishing the existing building and constructing one that is 5,050 square feet, Curt Neufeld, vice president of engineering for Priority Real Estate Group of Topsham, said.

The new store will be a little smaller than the current one.

Approving the measure were Arin Quintel, John Barbioni, Bernal “Bill” Bailey and Tim Fournier.

Chairman Tom Barker and his wife, Carole Barker, both board members, abstained from voting.

The Charles Barker family, Tom Barker’s father, owns the water system that serves the building but the state considers it a public water system.

The Maine Drinking Water program defines a public water system as “any publicly or privately-owned system of pipes or other constructed conveyances, structures and facilities through which water is obtained for or sold, furnished or distributed to the public for human consumption if such system has at least 15 service connections or serves at least 25 individuals daily at least 60 days out of the year or bottles water for sale,” Neufeld wrote in an email Thursday.

Neufeld said the store plans to put in a well.

Town Manager Carrie Castonguay told Tom Barker before the public hearing Wednesday that she got legal advice that the Barkers shouldn’t vote and it would be best if they recused themselves from the discussion all together.

Tom Barker acknowledged her information, but he and his wife spoke during the hearing.

Livermore Falls Property Holdings will own the land and store. Rusty Lantern Markets will operate the store, Neufeld said. It is a Maine company and not an Irving store, he said.

There will be better indoor seating and an outdoor seating area with a fireplace. Planters with flowers will form a boundary around the patio, Neufeld said.

The new store will set farther back from Park Street, also known as state Route 133, than the existing store. It will be about 190 feet from the road. Entry to the store and can be accessed by Leeds Road, also known as state Route 106.

The plan calls for the gas and diesel fuel stations to be removed and six new fuel dispensers installed along with the underground tanks.

Charles Barker of Leeds, who previously owned the building and land when it was Pike’s Corner Oasis, said he believes the lot is smaller than the 4 acres.

The property is owned by Ednalf LLC of Greenwood. The proposed closing date on the property from Ednalf to Livermore Falls Property Holdings is May 1, Neufeld said.

The lot is 4 acres, Neufeld said. A professional surveyor surveyed the lot.

There will be space for parking tractor-trailer trucks and for horses and buggies for the Livermore Falls Amish community, Neufeld said. Pads will be placed where the horses stand.

It is the first time the store has built parking for horses and buggies, he said.

Neufeld said the existing store will remain open during most the construction, which will start in May or June, weather permitting. The opening will be either September or October, he said.

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