KINGFIELD — Members of the Kingfield Planning Board met on Monday, March 9 and made progress on two subdivisions in the town.

Planners granted final approval to John Carver for Phase One of his Moose Alley, five-lot subdivision located off the Tufts Pond Road.

Phase One consists of the construction of a road to meet the town's standards. The road starts at Tufts Pond Road and travels to a westerly point known as Lot Two. Carver explained that Phase I would be complete once he sells Lot One. After that he'll start the process of building a road that will travel to lots two through five. That road will include the construction of a hairpin turn.

Members discussed the requirements of starting the project within two years and the fact that there is no timeframe in the town's ordinance for completion.

Carver suggested that he'd start construction once the mud season ends.

Planning board member Wade Brown motioned to accept the project phase as complete pending the submission of the final set of Mylar drawings. Once received, individual members will sign them which will signify the approval to proceed with the project and the marketing of the lot.

The next order of planning board business was to hear from Scott Braley, P.E. of Plymouth Engineering. Braley was representing Jordan Ventures LLC which is in the permitting process of a large commer- cial development along North Main Street where the current Jordan Excavation office is located.

Braley explained that they filed a Site Location of Development Act Permit application with the Department of Environmental Protection.

"The project is going to generate enough impervious area and disturbed area that it requires a DEP Site Law Permit," Braley explained.

Braley said he was looking for what's considered Site Plan Review and was hoping for a preliminary review and preliminary approval that evening.

The lot being developed is 23 acres and the drawings include four large buildings, the site work area, drainage, parking and travel access around all structures that is large enough for delivery traffic.

Braley said that his client's request was to permit the construction of the first building only, but do the site work for all four buildings. This is currently what the DEP is reviewing and what they're presenting to the planning board, he said.

"They are going to approve the construction of the site and the construction of the first building," Braley hoped.

They would come back to the agency and planning board should there be a need for the other buildings.

"In looking at today's economy, we're not sure who is going to occupy the three later buildings."

The site will have three access points along Route 27 which already has Maine Department of Transportation entrance permits. Of the 23 acres, 11.7 will be developed and will be considered impervious.

"The first building that we're looking at is 16,000 square feet. It's going to be 200 feet long and 80 feet wide. Currently it's going to house Jordan Excavation offices, a couple of lease spaces, actually three lease spaces," Braley explained.

He said the building will look like a very long residential building. It will have a couple of gables on the front with standard conventional construction. "This is not going to be a metal building. It's going to have siding, shingled roof and conventional construction."

Braley said the building will look a lot like the Federal Credit Union across the street, but only bigger.

Braley went on to answer questions. Being a development over five acres in impervious material, it was determined that the proposal needed an Impact Study per the town's ordinance.

It was also determined that the board was not going to give Preliminary Approval that evening. Chairman Clay Tranten stated that they'll review what was submitted at the next monthly meeting.

In the final order of business, the board approved a Change of Use condition for landowner John Witherspoon who was present at the meeting.

Forester Bob Carlton said there was a need to cut a dying section of red pine that was planted approximately 40 years ago. The stand was infected with a disease common in red pine plantations and there was no way to help the three acres growth of trees. The stand is located off Maple Street and not visible from the street.

The planning board request was to turn the acreage back into agricultural land by cutting the trees, stumping and reseeding. Carlton said he'd like to get started this winter to take advantage of the late winter conditions to lessen the impact on soils.

That request was eventually granted by the board.