ROCKLAND, Maine — Rockland planners have asked the developer of a proposed five-story downtown building to come up with a plan to prevent birds from crashing into the reflective glass that will make up the complex’s facade.
The board asked for additional information from the developer of the Starfire Building before the next meeting, scheduled for 5:15 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 17, at City Hall. A final vote is likely to occur at that meeting.
Building designer Eric Allyn said that one possibility being considered to is have etched glass that birds will be able to see, which could prevent them from crashing into the facade. He said, however, that the extra cost for such a facade is an issue.
Allyn spent the first hour of Tuesday night’s meeting explaining how the design of the five-story building — to be built at 12 Winter St. in what is now a parking lot owned by Winter Street LLC behind the Dowling Walsh Gallery on Main Street — meets the city design standards.
The issue of whether the building meets the design standards has been the chief topic at board meetings on the project.
Owner Jake Dowling said the design was important.
“This was an organic response to the rebirth of Rockland’s downtown,” Dowling said. “This is a symbol of Rockland’s revitalization.”
Dowling has operated the Dowling Walsh Gallery for the past seven years.
The Starfire Building would house retail stores at street level and storage for high-end artwork on the upper levels.
Design standards also were debated when the Center for Maine Contemporary Art went before the planning board last year. The board ultimately voted for the project despite concerns by some members that a 52-foot wall with windows lining the top did not meet city standards. The center’s building, located diagonally across from the proposed Starfire Building, remains under construction.
The issue also arose during a June 2014 meeting to review a proposed five-story boutique hotel at Main and Pleasant streets. Some neighbors argued that the building did not fit into the character of the neighborhood.