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http://www.portlandmaine.gov/planning/PB MemoUNE.pdf
Board reviews plans for UNE dentistry college
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Written by Craig Lyons
While the plans to build a new dentistry college at the University of New England will move forward in the approval process, developers heard a number of concerns from both residents and members of the Planning Board Monday night.
The city's Planning Board held a workshop on UNE's proposal Tuesday and reviewed the plans for the first time. During the lengthy meeting, residents and board members shared concerns about parking and the impact that the proposed addition would have on the neighborhood.
UNE has proposed building a new facility to accommodate its college of dental medicine, according to a memo to the board. To house the new programming, the college wants to build a patient care center on its Stevens Avenue campus, as well as a parking lot adjacent to the facility and a more remote lot on a former Pike Industries parcel the college acquired.
To build the patient care center, the college would raze three houses along College Street.
"It's essentially the creation of a new college," said Alan Thibeault, UNE's assistant vice president of planning.
The two-story building will house laboratory space, clinical learning environments and a health center. He said the health center would give second- and third-year dentistry students a chance to work on patients under the supervision of a dentist, and offer affordable dental care.
Thibeault said the project includes plans to supply enough parking for students, staff and patients at the college. He said a small 33-spot lot will be built adjacent to the building and the rest of the parking will be located at the former Pike Industries property with a shuttle service to bring people back and forth.
Thibeault said the college has dealt with the previous parking deficit at its Portland campus by renting 120 spaces, creating seven on campus and starting the METRO pass program.
"We wanted to at least give you an idea of what the solution was," he said.
Thibeault said the college has worked for several years to establish the dentistry school and recently received a state bond for the project.
"We're looking to get this going as quick as we can," he said.
Residents from around UNE's campus raised concerns about continued development at the college infringing on the neighborhood and continued parking issues.
Resident Scott Dalton said development in a residential neighborhood should match the area's character. He said the college's pharmacy building is a nice building but it doesn't fit the neighborhood.
"This building will probably be the same," he said.
Dalton said he doesn't think that the college properly addressed the parking issues created by the pharmacy college and that further development is being planned without much forward thinking.
Resident John Linscott said, in a letter that was read during the meeting, that he's not opposed to education but is opposed to the plan since he's concerned it will affect the comfort of people in the neighborhood. He said the neighborhood is being morphed into an ever-widening college campus.
Board member Joe Lewis said he formerly resided in the area of the college and he too has noticed that the character has changed in the neighborhood.
"It is really a substantially different residential experience today," he said.
While the board recognized the concerns of the residents, they focused much of their attention on the proposed design for the building and what it would look like from Stevens Avenue. The board was concerned that the two-story building would simply be a brick and glass mass along the street and take away from the neighborhood's character.
"I'll be looking to see something other than just this mass," Lewis said.
Board member David Silk said he has a hard time looking at residential buildings along Stevens Avenue, and then seeing something that looks like the back of a building.
