At the September 3, 2019 Town Council Meeting, the Town Council voted to authorize a voter referendum for the November 5, 2019 Election for the purchase of two vacant parcels for the development of a new industrial park in Gorham.

The Town of Gorham is requesting voter approval of a $5.9 million bond to fund the purchase, design and construction of the next phase of the Gorham Industrial Park. The land to be purchased is identified on the Assessing Tax Maps as Map 30, Lot 1 and Map 29, Lot 1. The lots are located between Main Street and Cyr Drive and have a combined total area of 141 +/- acres. The parcels have the ability to connect into public sewer and water, natural gas, and 3 phase power.

Conceptual Subdivision Plans for the Site

The Town has hired Woodard & Curran Engineers to look at the parcels to develop a couple of different conceptual subdivision plans to help envision what an industrial park at this location may look like. It should be noted that these plans are conceptual and have the possibility to drastically change as the property proceeds through the engineering and permitting process.

Woodard & Curran’s Memorandum can be viewed here.

Concept 1 provides landscaped entrance onto Main Street, in addition to connectivity to Cyr Drive and Hutcherson Drive, representing approximately 8,600 feet of new roadway and 800 feet of driveway. Concept 1 would yield approximately 24 lots, ranging from 3.0 to 9.6 acres, with an average lot size of 5.4 acres. A central loop road would provide access to the majority of the lots, with two shared driveways to more peripheral lots on the eastern and western sides of the Site. A small, 1.6-acre open space parcel would remain adjacent to the railroad right of way, as well as two areas reserved for stormwater treatment in the low point at the southeastern corner of the Site. The proposed traffic pattern would require an approximately 1,500-foot extension of Hutcherson Drive, before separating from the railroad alignment. The 10-foot wide, paved Crosstown Trail would follow the remaining approximately 2,500 feet of railroad bed.

Concept 2 would offer two landscaped entrances to Main Street, while connecting to Cyr Drive, the Crosstown Trail and Hutcherson Drive in the same way as described for Concept 1. This concept would require approximately 10,400 feet of new roadway and 400 feet of driveway, and the additional cut to Main Street would require a waiver. This concept would provide 23 lots, from 3.3 to 9.6 acres in size, with an average lot size of 5.5 acres. An acre of open space would be reserved at the second entrance to Main Street, in addition to the 1.6 acres adjacent to the railroad right of way, and areas reserved for stormwater treatment. Only one shared driveway would be required with this layout, but an approximately 500-foot access road would be required for service vehicle access to one of the stormwater treatment areas.