Subdivision eyed for Greenville Junction

GREENVILLE — Nearly 60 acres of land in Greenville Junction off North Green Street, on the peninsula going into Moosehead Lake on the eastern shore of the West Cove, is being considered for the proposed Greenville Grove Subdivision. The first step toward project approval was taken during a July 17 Greenville Planning Board meeting.

Rodney Folsom Jr., broker/owner of the Folsom Realty Group, said he planned to close on the approximately 58 acres on the morning of Friday, July 19. Folsom Jr. said after that he will have a finalized survey to know the exact number of acres.

Some abutters had indicated interest in purchasing land from Folsom Jr. to provide extra space for privacy around their existing properties. “Those ones are set to close almost immediately,” he said.

“I guess they won’t ultimately be part of the subdivision, those will be sold off before,” Folsom Jr. added. “I do plan on making several other sales.

He said one party has expressed interest in a larger tract of land on the east side of North Green Street, turning three proposed lots into one. Other 4-acre lots would be plotted, along with some half acre parcels for future development.

“It’s nice private land in town, I plan on keeping roughly 12 acres myself to build our primary residence there,” Folsom Jr. said.

Planning Board Chairperson John Contreni wondered if 19 lots were being proposed for the Greenville Grove Subdivision.

“I think that number should shrink down because some of them will be abutters who are purchasing so those will just go off to them,” Folsom Jr. said, mentioning a figure of 15.

Contreni said board approval for a subdivision follows a 6-step process. The first is the pre-application meeting, which includes going over 30-plus checklist items,  and then a site visit. The board is set to visit the property at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 7, at the start of the next regular meeting

“Second step will be submission of a preliminary plan,” Contreni said.

Code Enforcement Officer Ron Sarol suggested sending letters to abutters. Depending on if and what he gets for responses, then a public hearing may be scheduled.

“That’s one of the largest parcels in town that’s undeveloped,” Contreni said. He said the planning board does not vote on preliminary applications, but Folsom Jr. has the green light to go forward.

“Surveyors have been there and they have been plotting the whole boundary lines, everything like that,” Folsom Jr. said. “From there we find different size lots, it’s very fluid.”

In his report Sarol mentioned his office has moved into the former police department space. Greenville’s police department has been relocated out of the town office and across Minden street to the new public safety building. The town clerk’s office will be in the former home of code enforcement.

The new 19,000-square foot public safety building houses the fire department and police department as well as a community meeting room. 

Sarol said he will “continue doing my normal setback checks and property ordinance, and mortgage deed transfers” among his other other duties.

“I have worked on 22 permits since our last meeting,” Sarol said, which was on June 18. He said three permits are pending, another three have been approved and he is waiting on payment and the other 16 permits are all approved and paid for.

“We’re up to 61 so far this year,” Sarol said, with permits being for building, tree cutting, vendors, and more.