6 days Ago
A concept image shows the proposed 96-unit Brickyard Commons development off Brickyard Circle in Auburn. The project was originally approved in 2022, but has since expired. When faced with the same project last week, the Planning Board decided to host a site walk following concerns from abutters.
City of Auburn AUBURN — The Planning Board delayed approvals for a 96-unit housing development and will host a rare site walk at the John Gendron-owned property on Brickyard Circle following concern from neighbors. Developers hoping to get the same project approved for a second time last week were met with a new and more reluctant Planning Board, along with several abutters that have been wary of the proposal since the beginning. The project would place eight 12-unit buildings on 10 acres of land off Brickyard Circle, between Washington Street and Taylor Brook, which cuts through the property.
While it still holds approvals from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection and the Army Corps of Engineers, the site plan approval from the city of Auburn expired in 2024. According to David Hediger, director of planning, only three members of the current Planning Board participated in the 2022 review of the project. He said while the application remains the same as what was originally approved , “this is the first time many current board members are reviewing it,” and that concerns raised by neighbors in 2022 have resurfaced.
Those concerns include traffic, the impact to wildlife and the site’s proximity to Taylor Brook, as well as an abutting industrial site that handles hazardous materials. In response to public comments last week, the Planning Board tabled the site plan approval until next month, and the board will host a site walk prior to the meeting on May 13. Rhyanna Lerose, who lives on Bennett Avenue, which abuts the rear of the property, said she’s concerned with the project’s setbacks to Taylor Brook, which come as close as 25 feet.
She and several others said one abutting business, Savage Transload, deals with hazardous chemicals “right at the property line” and that some kind of buffering should be required. Several Planning Board members agreed with the concerns, arguing that a site walk could give them a better idea of the issues prior to holding a vote. “I need to be convinced that we’re not potentially putting people in harm’s way,” said Planning Board member Tim DeRoche.
The Auburn Fire Department previously signed off on the project with no concerns, Hediger said. Board member Bob Hayes, a former councilor, said he supports the site walk. “One purpose of zoning is separating uses that don’t go together,” he said.
“We have a major residential use proposed right next to an industrial site that’s handling hazardous materials.” Steve Cox, owner of Service Master, another abutting business, said the property is “basically an island,” and the project “doesn’t fit” with the surrounding area. Cox made similar comments in 2022.
Gendron, the developer, was also behind a controversial proposal to develop a large section of land between Gracelawn Road and Lake Auburn, but the project was ultimately scrapped after Mayor Jeff Harmon was elected and further changes to the site’s zoning were under consideration. Harmon campaigned for mayor — and won handily — as an advocate for “responsible growth” as opposed to the ambitious, and sometimes controversial zoning and housing proposals put forth by the previous council and Mayor Jason Levesque. Since the start of the term, the Planning Board has also seen political battles over appointments with the board becoming a key component of determining future development in Auburn, not unlike other communities.
Board member Maureen Hopkins replaced former member David Trask in December, who at the time said he believed he was passed over due to previous policy disagreements with Mayor Harmon. Before eventually voting in favor of tabling the Gendron project last week, board member Paul Jacques questioned what the Planning Board would get out of a site walk, which is a rare occurrence for the board. “Is it going to give us any tangible evidence that we can actually measure?” he asked.
Hopkins, who proposed the site walk idea, said the board could look at the proximity to the brook and at the property line buffers. “We have the ability to deny if it’s a safety hazard,” she said. “We’re not going out there looking for a reason to deny it.
” Hediger said that during the site walk the public won’t be allowed to talk to board members and board members are not allowed to talk to each other. Planning Coordinator Natalie Thomsen said there would be offsite improvements as part of the project, including a left-turn lane added on Washington Street south. Mike Gotto, a consultant on the development from Stoneybrook Land Use, pointed out to board members last week that the project still held approval from the Maine DEP, which considered the potential wetland impact.
He said if approved, four buildings would be constructed in phase one, with another four in the second phase. The team has proposed 168 parking spaces, and could add another 18 if needed, he said. Each apartment in the market-rate complex would have two bedrooms, two baths and a small laundry area.
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