School renovation wins final approval

The Biddeford Planning Board granted final site plan approval to the Biddeford High School renovation project.

At its April 7 meeting the board also granted the project waivers for a traffic study and landscape buffer between Maplewood Avenue and the school’s main parking lot.

Biddeford voters approved the $34 million renovation project in November. Construction is expected to begin later this spring with expansion of the parking lot. Other plans include replacement of all flooring, ceilings, electrical system, heating and ventilation systems, student lockers, doors and much of the building’s roof. The front entrance will be relocated to provide more security, a new library will be built on the second floor and the entire building will be made handicap accessible.

The project will be done in nine phases and is expected to be finished by August 2012.

Plans for RiverWalk to be unveiled tonight

Plans for the initial phases of the RiverWalk along the Saco River will be unveiled tonight at North Dam Mill.

The RiverWalk will run along the river between Mechanic’s Park and the Diamond Match property in Biddeford. It will pass beside several historic mill buildings.

The walk will connect across the river to Saco, to neighborhoods, school and businesses as well as regional trails such as the Eastern Trail.

Biddeford City Planner Greg Tansley said construction of the project will begin this summer.

“We are all very excited about this project and the design that will be presented at the meeting,” he said.

Wright-Pierce and Richardson & Associates conducted the engineering and design process of

 the project. The National Park Service Rivers and Trails Program also has provided technical assistance.

The meeting is set to begin at 6 p.m. at North Dam Mill, 2 Main St., Biddeford. Light refreshments will be served and there will be opportunity for public feedback.

OOB joins other towns for ocean levels study

The Old Orchard Beach Town Council voted unanimously to join the Sea Level Adaptation Working Group.

Scarborough, Biddeford and Saco previously joined the study group funded in part by a state grant to examine effects of increased ocean levels. Town officials will work together to study how to combat higher sea levels without creating solutions that adversely effect neighboring towns.

Participating towns will contribute a combined $25,000 in money and labor to initiate the study. They also are working with a $25,000 grant obtained from the State Planning Office by the Southern Maine Regional Planning Commission.

The council approved a payment of $3,125 to the commission for the study group.

Council OKs Ballpark commission members

The Old Orchard Beach Town Council approved the appointment of the Ballpark commissioners and a new public works director at its April 6 meeting.

The council voted unanimously to appoint seven residents to the commission, which will oversee the town-owned Ballpark.

David Goyet, Lucien Huot and Sheila Flathers were appointed to terms set to expire in December 2012. Michael Bouffard, Paul Crossman and Dana Furtado will serve until the end of 2011 and Mark Gustin will serve until the end of this year.

The council also voted unanimously to appoint Bill Robertson director of the public works department. He had been interim director of the department since January when previous director Mary Ann Conroy left to work in Kittery.

Saco considers moratorium for marijuana dispensary

Saco officials will consider next month whether to adopt an emergency medical marijuana dispensary moratorium.

Mayor Ron Michaud said he brought the issue to the city council’s attention at a workshop Monday night to see if councilors had concerns. The issue was brought to his attention by Police Chief Brad Paul, who said he has some concerns about regulations for growers.

“I felt it was something you’d want to be in front of instead of chasing,” he said.

Maine voters in November passed a referendum to legalize medical marijuana and state officials have worked since then to develop regulations. The Legislature last week passed a law outlining how eight dispensaries should be created in the state.

Other municipalities across the state have passed moratoriums on dispensaries, which must be nonprofit. Last month Biddeford city councilors approved a moratorium to provide guidance to city officials until state regulations are finalized.

Saco Development Director Peter Morelli said staff will develop definitions and make suggestions for appropriate zones for a dispensary before the council and planning board consider the issue next month. The state will begin taking applications for dispensaries by July 1, he said.

Councilor Arthur Tardif said he wants to ensure dispensaries are not located near schools and Councilor Jeffrey Christenbury said a moratorium isn’t needed if nothing is going to happen on the state level for a few months.

Councilor Marston Lovell said medical marijuana is most often used by cancer patients and dispensaries are likely to be located in or near cancer treatment centers. He said he doesn’t think Saco would be home to a dispensary because other towns and cities have those types of medical centers.

Bond package with funding for dental school will go to voters

A dental school at the University of New England moved one step closer to reality with the approval of a $57.8 million jobs bond package by the Legislature. The package will go to voters in June for approval.

The package, enacted by a vote of 102 to 44 in the House and 30 to 5 in the Senate, contains $24.8 million for road and bridge construction; $6.5 million for the construction of a deep-water port; $500,000 for the Small Harbor Improvement Program; and $5 million for the construction of a community-based clinic operated by a college of dental medicine and for upgrades to health and dental care clinics across the state. 

University of New England President Danielle Ripich last month said Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont comprise the largest geographic area in the country without a dental school. The university wants to create a dental school on its Biddeford and Portland campuses and have students work in clinics across the state.

Ripich said establishing a dental school will cost between $17 million and $20 million. The university has about $10 million in resources to contribute to startup costs.

“We are pleased the Legislature has passed a bond package that includes the critical need to create dental care access throughout the state and we look forward to Maine voter support for this important issue in November,” she said.

– Compiled by Staff Writer Gillian Graham