An abandoned site on Railroad Avenue, once it is cleaned up, could become housing, retail or commercial space, according to a presentation given to the Town Council recently.
Three specific options for reuse of the downtown site were presented by engineers and planners at the Sept. 23 council meeting.
Representatives of two national engineering firms – TRC of Windsor, Conn., and Nitsch Engineering of Boston – joined with the Southern Maine Planning and Development Commission to present possibilities for transforming the 1.6-acre parcel at 9 Railroad Ave. into an active use.
The chemical factory formerly located there was owned by Axton-Cross of Holliston, Mass. The factory building was destroyed by a fire in 1959.
The triangular piece of property, which sits behind the P. Gagnon & Son storage tanks and is bordered by Driscoll Brook and an unused railroad spur, was acquired by the town in 2019 in a tax foreclosure from the estate of the late Axton-Cross president, Herman Galvin.
The assessment of contamination and cleanup could possibly be funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Brownfields program, according to Raegan Young of the planning commission. Through that program, abandoned and potentially contaminated sites are eligible for funding so the properties can become housing, commercial sites or other uses in the future.
The regional planning commission regularly applies for and receives Brownfields Grant Funding from EPA, according to Paul Schumacher, a special projects planner for South Berwick who formerly worked for the commission.
The Railroad Avenue property lends itself to redevelopment, according to Allison Evans of Nitsch Engineering, who noted the front two-thirds of the parcel is “generally flat” and “may not require a lot of earth moving” for development.
Other development options are possible because the property already is served by a six-inch water main and an eight-inch sewer main, both essential to any development, and the infrastructure extends the length of Railroad Avenue. In addition, the property is located within the town’s central commercial district.
While the property would be constrained by shoreland zoning setbacks, about 80% of the land could be developed, according to a memorandum presented to the council by the TRC and Nitsch consultants.
The parcel’s “flexible footprint” would allow “municipal space that would also work for housing,” according to Emily Wassmer of TRC, suggesting eight one-bedroom apartments in a two-story structure. The municipal space could include artists’ studios and meeting rooms, a technology laboratory, or a performance stage, Wassmer said.
The second scenario, according to Evans, would be for 12 residential units, half of them set aside as affordable units and half of them town homes offered at market value.
The third scenario would redevelop the property as “mixed use,” with retail and service businesses on the first floor and offices and apartments above. This option could include gym space, one- and two-bedroom units of affordable housing, small restaurants, and flexible space for community events.
The cost of cleaning up the property, which involves preparing it for development, would be between $1.2 and $1.5 million depending on the development chosen, according to Sydnie Picard of Nitsch. For the first option, remediation would cost $1.2 to $1.4 million; for the second, $1.2 to $1.3 million; and for the third, $1.3 to $1.5 million.
“Before any other steps can be taken, the property must be appraised and the previous owners located,” according to Schumacher, whose portfolio includes development of the Railroad Avenue site.
In addition, any plans would need to be in line with local zoning ordinances before they could proceed, according to DeCarlo Brown, town planning and economic development director.
Young from the regional planning commission said the site is not considered to be hazardous.
“There are no immediate threats to public health or the environment,” said Young. “Based on testing that has already been done, there are no hazardous wastes at the site.”
Young acknowledged that workers cleaning the site – and actually in contact with the materials – will need to be protected.
“Controls will be put in place to make sure workers who are on site don’t have unreasonable exposure,” she said. “They will all wear protective equipment.” In addition, dust monitoring will be conducted and the area capped and covered for the protection of future visitors.
As for the timeline for development of a Railroad Avenue project, Town Manager Tim Pellerin said, “Realistically, it will be several years.”
