The grass is growing higher but not much else is happening at 146 Gardiner Road, the former Wiscasset Primary School. That could change if voters agree to several proposed ordinance changes at the Sept. 8 annual town election.

Before developers can move toward putting in living units, voters must approve changes to the town’s land use ordinance.

Ordinance Review Committee Chair Karl Olson said the changes selectmen requested are within the building laws and pertain to lot size and setback. Rewording addresses  “elderly congregate housing” and “congregate housing.” The proposed changes also decrease a square footage requirement for housing units.

As proposed, the ordinance would define congregate housing as: “A building or group of buildings on a single lot which provides dwelling units with shared community space and supportive uses.(and which) shall provide at least two off-street parking spaces for each dwelling unit and sufficient parking space for any and all supportive uses.” The ordinance would require they be provided with town water and sewer services.

“We directed the ORC to make those changes with the former school property in mind,” Selectmen’s Chair Judy Colby told Wiscasset Newspaper Friday, June 12. “They can’t do what they talked about until voters agree to the amendments. Then they have to return to the planning board and (apply).”

The 53,150-square foot former kindergarten through grade four school has remained largely vacant since 2015, when Wiscasset consolidated its school system from three buildings to two. Colby said the building was last used in 2016 when one wing was leased for several months to LincolnHealth of Damariscotta which used it as a training center. JSJ Holdings LLC bought the 11.6-acre property from the town in January 2017 for $505,000.

Last December, one of JSJ Holdings’ four investors, Stephen Barndollar of Portsmouth, New Hamshire, met with the planning board to share ideas for developing the property. As reported in Wiscasset Newspaper, the plan included one- and two-bedroom apartments and possibly subdividing the property for other uses.

Town zoning currently requires 20,000 square feet of land for each dwelling unit; the proposed changes reduce this requirement to 3,000 square feet.

At the same meeting, Barndollar told the planning board the property was being taken off the market in anticipation of developing the project. It had been for sale since August 2018, listed by Boulos Company of Portland. The asking price was $795,000. A “For Sale” sign on the front lawn has since been removed.

Wiscasset Newspaper reached out to Barndollar for comment and did not immediately receive a reply.