Tue, 01/28/2020 - 14:03

Lynda Clancy

CAMDEN — With the new Camden-Rockport Middle School construction midway to finish, Oak Point Association architects and engineers have filed a site plan review application for proposed renovation, traffic flow and parking changes to the former Mary E. Taylor school building on Knowlton Street.

This repurposing plan comes 16 months after Camden and Rockport citizens voted 2,896 to 2,357 to spend $4.9 million on renovating and repurposing the building, thus ending more than a year’s debate over the future of the 1925-built brick school building. The building had been on the new middle school construction project schedule for demolition.

The School Administrative District 28 repurposing plans for MET will be considered at the Feb. 6 Camden Planning Board meeting.

In the board packet is a Jan. 17 letter from Oak Point Associate Senior Civil Engineer Steven Sargent, who outlined notable and significant changes associated with the MET project. They include:

An additional building entrance to the south side of the MET for accessible access purposes;

A change the south end of the previously approved CRMS vehicle parking area, including the creation of a connection from the vehicle parking area at the west of the MET to the CRMS parking lot;

Eliminating seven parking spaces, modifications to drainage and the addition of a driveway;

Redeveloping existing pavement area around the south and west of the MET for improvements to vehicle access, vehicle circulation, parking (added 42 parking spaces) and pedestrian circulation;

adding a new utility services to the MET.

The application also cites the use of new exterior lighting to be compliant with dark sky guidelines, proposed changes to water drainage and erosion controls and new landscape planting along the south side of MET.

Dark sky compliant means employing environmentally responsible outdoor lighting. It is the result of an international campaign to reduce light pollution.

On Feb. 6, the Camden Planning Board may conduct a 4 p.m. site walk at the MET site and then move to the John French Meeting Room at the Camden Town Office to begin its review.

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