Gorham is seeking bid proposals to extend public sewer past several existing businesses on Main Street, from Mosher’s Corner to Portal Way.
“The town has been looking to finish this missing connection for sewer on Main Street for some time to promote smart growth opportunities,” Town Manager Ephrem Paraschak said. “The bid process will identify the specific costs, and the town will evaluate how to move forward with the project.”
The sewer extension would run past the 94-acre Main Street property Amazon has been approved to buy from the town. The Amazon site already has a Portland Water District easement through it with sewer and public water pipes.
Paraschak said the sewer extension project is not coming up now in connection with the Amazon plans to build a warehouse that was discussed at a Dec. 1 Planning Board meeting.
“The (sewer) project has been in the works for several years as the town has looked to promote mixed use and other types of development in the area that require public utilities,” Paraschak said.
Town Council Vice Chair Seven Siegel said the town should look for opportunities to extend sewer to more residents, especially in the village area. “By having more land near the villages serviced by public sewer, we can put more density in our cores, which in turn lets us protect our rural areas more easily,” Siegel said. “Getting sewer along lower Main Street is something town staff have been looking into for years. The first step toward figuring out if it is possible is getting a cost estimate, which the town is currently doing with the request for proposal process.”
“The town anticipates being able to be reimbursed through the implementation of connection impact fees,” Paraschak said.
Siegel said the town could look into federal grants and determining impact fees.
Cost of extending the sewer might require Town Council action and a voter referendum.
“Assuming we get grants or create an impact fee, both of those would require council approval to allocate the funds accordingly,” Siegel said. “If we need to put forward any of the town money for the project, if that amount exceeds roughly $550,000, it will need to go to the voters as per our charter. The exact amount is based on inflation from 2023 to now.”
For more information about the proposed project, visit gorhammaine.gov and look under Gorham News for “Request for Bids: Main Street Sewer Extension.”