GORHAM, Maine — Developers in Gorham want to build nearly 400 new homes in one Gorham neighborhood, which has some people in the town divided.
KV Enterprises proposed building a subdivision off Robie Street in the Narrangansett Game Sanctuary. The proposal includes building 96 single-family homes and 295 multi-tenant units in 12 buildings.
Some residents in the neighborhood on Robie Street said they are concerned about traffic congestion and the sheer amount of cars 391 new homes will bring to the area.
"Why change the village? It's peaceful. It has a lot of nature to it," nearby resident Justin Earley said. "This development will completely remove that."
Developers want to build the subdivision in five phases to manage the pace of growth. In a one-year period, developers cannot build more than one multi-tenant phase and no more than 15 single-family homes. According to the proposal, multi-family units will take two years to build.
Another concern for residents is school overcrowding in Gorham's schools. Earley said adding almost 400 homes will "increase the burden" on the elementary schools and the high school.
"If you're already looking to expand a school, adding a lot more houses is not a good solution," he said.
The contract zone requires one phase of the multi-tenant units to be for people 55 years and older.
Gorham's town council voted to pass a contract zone for the proposal, which is awaiting the planning board's approval.
"I tend to not take a stance on what people are doing with their land so long as it agrees with our ordinances. It is your land," Seven Siegel, a town councilor, said. "At the end of the day, I don't believe we should be stopping people from what they're doing with their property."
Siegel said the new subdivision's biggest impact on the town, if approved, would be the way it funds its schools because building more single-family homes will raise taxes.
Siegel said he hopes, if the proposal is passed, the new subdivision will feel like it's part of the neighborhood.
"My hope as a councilor is that we can do everything we can within our powers to make sure it has the lowest amount of impact possible on the neighborhood," Siegel said.
Gorham's planning board will hold a public workshop on Monday at 7 p.m. to discuss the development and the potential first phase of the project if approved.