At its regular meeting on October 21, the Planning Board gave approval to a 5-lot subdivision located at 196 Elm Street in Springvale. The 13.69 acre property will be used to construct luxury “eco-camps” for the personal use of the owners, as well as for part-time rental under the company name Purposely Lost.
One of the owners of the property, Peter Valcourt of Portland, described the project’s focus on minimizing impacts to the environment. The structures will all have electric heat by heat pumps. They have strict rules for renters, including no dogs and no wood cutting. There is one luxury treehouse already on the property, with more treehouses and “hobbit homes” planned for the other lots. According to the company’s website, the 350 square foot treehouse rents for an average of $395 per night.
Each of the lots in the subdivision has frontage on Littlefield Pond, and sits partly in the Shoreland Zone and partly in the Rural Residental Zone. The Planning Board set a number of conditions for the project, including a ban on construction around vernal pools during the months of April, May and June. Removal of any vegetation in the Shoreland Zone must be approved by the Code Enforcement Officer.
Many mallards gather on Number 2 Pond next to Oscar Emery Drive. Photo: Terry Jellerson
Compiled by Lisa Blanchette Visit our Events Calendar for details on these and future events. Saturday, Nov. 9 Annual Fall…
Artist’s rendering of the planned Sanford Fire & EMS Headquarters station. By Zendelle Bouchard and Lee Burnett The city of…
State Rep. Lucas Lanigan and Patty Kidder By Zendelle Bouchard The race for state representative for District 141 between incumbent…
L to R: Mayor Becky Brink and City Councilors Ayn Hanselmann and Nate Hitchcock all retained their seats. By Zendelle…
Springvale District Courthouse is on the way to being remodeled as apartments. Photo: Gail Burnett Photo2: An architect’s drawing shows…