News, Reviews & Awards

Atlantic House almost done; Kearsarge next in lineup at York Beach

Shelton's is having a "Liquidation for Reincarnation" sale in York Beach. Don Clark/dclark@seacoastonline.

By HERB PERRY
hperry@seacoastonline.com
November 07, 2007

YORK — The York Beach renaissance has begun.

On a cool, cloudless Friday, local officials and developers Don Rivers and Harold Anderson cut a red ribbon strung in front of Atlantic House to signify the building's renovation. More than 150 people attended the event.

The exterior complete, the building needs only one more month before nine upstairs condominiums are finished as well. Several first-floor shops, including a clothing boutique, cheese shop and art gallery, are almost done.

After five years and $7 million, Rivers and Anderson felt the satisfaction of transforming the once-dilapidated 1890s building into a beautiful reincarnation of its former self.

"I feel real good," Rivers said Friday. He stood on the building's second floor balcony after the ceremony and looked out at Kearsarge House, the next building he and Anderson will renovate. Inside at Blue Sky on York Beach, the second floor restaurant Boston chef Lydia Shire will headline, waiters served champagne and appetizers.

"We never thought it would take this long," Rivers said, smiling, "but now that it's done, everybody feels great."

Anderson said local business people, town staff and elected officials collaborated to make the renovation possible.

"They just wanted to make it work," he said, voicing special thanks to the Planning Board and the Historic District Commission. "I'm hoping this provides more things for the local people; the tourists will come here anyway."

Cathy Goodwin, president of the Greater York Region Chamber of Commerce, said Rivers and Anderson "created something very, very special that will last here for another 100 years."

Said Anderson: "The bottom line is, it was exciting working on this old building, trying to save it and put it back together again."

Kearsarge House

Putting "it back together again" is Rivers and Anderson's plan for Kearsarge House. They hope to begin work in January, but two stumbling blocks remain.

First, the developers must inspect the foundation. It's in better shape than the Atlantic House foundation before its renovation, which "had more rot and deterioration than we had expected," Shannon Alther, project architect for TMS Architects, said.

Developers ran into trouble with the HDC and selectmen when they made changes to the Atlantic House that were not indicated on construction plans, changes partly related to the foundation. Alther said he will emphasize "information and communication" between developers and the town to avoid surprising the town with changes they may make to Kearsarge House.

But maintaining some of Kearsarge House's historical features may prove difficult, according to Steve Burns, director of community development.

Based on the Atlantic House experience and reconstruction of the Jefferds' Tavern barn, developers will have to use a lot of framing and steel, he said.

"Any time you renovate an old building you will have to use structural steel. ...; So my guess is they are going to do the same thing," he said.

That could mean removing old beams, for example, Burns said.

The second stumbling block is a disagreement between developers and the town about how high the Kearsarge House roof can be. Buildings within 500 feet of the ocean must be no taller than 35 feet, or they can be no higher than 35 feet to the average elevation beyond the first 500 feet, Burns said.

"That 500 feet (boundary) splits this building. ... It's the first time I've seen that — and it's a biggie," Burns said.

Senior Code Enforcement Officer Tim DeCoteau said developers need to resolve the issue before the town will issue a building permit. Developers and the town used different methods to measure the roof. Developers measured roof height at 5-foot increments and then averaged the heights, which totaled less than 35 feet, DeCoteau said.

"We check each roof to see if they are compliant," DeCoteau said, and some roof parts of the building were above 35 feet. He suggested developers may appeal the town's roof height ruling.

Rivers called the roof issue "still pending." But, rather than harp on details, he prefers to focus on what Kearsarge House will become. He and Anderson will build 17 upstairs residential condominiums, a restaurant and 10 bottom-floor shops.

"It's going to be really nice," he said. "We're going to bring it back to the way it was in the old days."