Windham Planning Board Approves Public Safety Building Plans

The Windham Planning Board approved an amended subdivision and a major site plan for the North Windham Public Safety Building on Franklin Drive during its September 28 meeting. The roughly 27,950-square-foot building will house the Windham Fire and Police Departments with five apparatus bays and 40 parking spaces. The board also postponed a Walmart Supercenter expansion item at the applicant's request.

Key points

• The board unanimously approved the amended major subdivision preliminary and final plans for the Windham Mall Fourth Amended Subdivision, creating a 5.07-acre lot for the public safety building.
• The board unanimously approved the major site plan for the North Windham Public Safety Building, a two-story building with five apparatus bays and 40 parking spaces.
• A requested facade waiver was determined unnecessary because the building's final design will meet commercial district standards; staff said the waiver information will be removed from the findings.
• Board members questioned garbled text on a flood and resource protection map in the application; the applicant agreed to provide an updated copy.
• The applicant described changes made since July, including moving accessible parking closer to the entrance, screening the generator and transformer, adding snow storage, and increasing driveway radii to 25 feet.
• Staff raised concerns about safeguards for soapy water from vehicle washing at the apparatus bay; the applicant said Portland Water District would accept either a mechanical valve or solid trench drain covers, with operating procedures subject to town approval.
• No members of the public spoke during the public comment periods.

Next steps

• The applicant will send an updated flood and resource protection map to the town planner.
• The site walk for the Sambar Apartments was moved to October 5 at 5 p.m. due to rain.
• The Walmart Supercenter OPD expansion item was postponed at the applicant's request.
• The applicant hopes to break ground around December 1, after receiving the DEP permit and completing design drawings.

Read the full transcript