Retail plans could include new clink

The second building — at 6,760 square feet — would potentially be the new police station.

Rainville said the plan for the police station hasn’t been set in stone, but rather is proposed as a professional building.

“It’s actually going to be office space,” he said. “It’s not directly for a police station. The town would have to vote that in.”

The current station, behind the town offices on Main Street, was never meant to house the police station in the long term,

according to interim Police Chief Edward Drew.”It’s very run-down, and the conditions are not very good as far as air quality, and some other issues need to addressed,” Drew said.

He added that there has been talk of building a new station.

“It would be great if the mechanism was put in place,” he said. “I don’t know what the ins and outs of that would be and what kind of legal process would need to take place.”

Johnson said Rainville has every intention of moving forward with the process, and has already obtained a decision from the Zoning Board of Appeals to allow two principle-use buildings on one lot.

Johnson said additional permits are needed before the project can go forward including:

* A site-plan special permit from the Planning Board.

* A special permit from the Zoning Board of Appeals for restaurant use in a residential/commercial district.

* An order of conditions from the Conservation Commission for work within protective zones of a bordering vegetated wetlands.

* A sewage-disposal construction permit from the Board of Health for the installation of an on-site sewage disposal system.

* A permit to access a state highway from MassDOT’s highway division.

* A water-supply permit from the Department of Environmental Protection for well installation.

Johnson said a timetable is already in place for the project.

“The hope is to get all permits and approvals by late winter or early spring and start construction by April or early May,” Johnson said. “The plans that were submitted are the final plans. We have a notice of intent for conservation work, and we’ve gotten septic permits.”

Johnson said the project will not have any impact on town resources.

“It’s a self-contained project. It has its own private well, septic system, and can handle storm water on site,” he said.

Selectman Dan Meunier said his board has not discussed the issue, although there has been plenty of talk around town.

“I’ve heard the rumors that he wanted to do it,” Meunier said of Rainville. “He’s potentially building something where he may or may not have someone to lease it to. He hasn’t come before the board to talk about it. Maybe he’s trying to do the right thing for the town because we can’t build (a police station) on our own. If he’s looking for a lease, it has to go through the board.”

Rainville said he has no plan to go before selectmen yet.

Johnson said Rainville would maintain ownership of both buildings and would lease the space out, but Meunier said that’s something selectmen would have to explore to see if it is a cost-effective move for the town.

“If I was in his shoes, I would come to the board and ask if we were interested before he spends all the money,” Meunier cautioned. “I have no idea how big it is and no idea how much it would cost us.”

Meunier admitted that the town needs a new police station, as well as retail space, but said other issues need to be considered, such as response time for police officers in the new building, which, according to current plans, would place the station behind the retail space.

Johnson said the plan would be good for the town.

“It’s going to provide services and destination spots in town that the people don’t have and would want to have,” he said. “They would like to have somewhere to go and get a decent cup of coffee and a meal. They don’t have that now. It’ll provide office space for someone local or out of town and provide a service. I think it will help stimulate the local area.”

The Planning Board is scheduled to meet Wednesday night at 7 to review the plans and set a public hearing.