Eco-Luxury Comes to Littlefield Pond

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.