NEWRY — Citing the opinion of the town attorney and concerns about erosion, the Newry Planning Board last week voted unanimously to ask Sunday River Resort to come up with a plan for upgrading a portion of Skiway Road.

The request is part of the Planning Board’s review of an application from Sunday River for the Dream Maker Lodge, with 29 units, to be located at the bottom of the Dream Maker trail and on the right of the upper Skiway Road, across from North Peak Condominiums.

At a public hearing last month, the board received complaints and concerns from representatives of the neighboring condo associations about the condition of the road, erosion, the water supply and sewer access.

Since then the Planning Board has asked town attorney Jim Katsiaficas for guidance on rights and obligations of the town, the applicant and abutters regarding Skiway Road.

Katsiaficas said in a letter that the board must determine whether the project would cause hazardous congestion for motor vehicles from a public way and the extent to which the existing access road must be improved “as needed to protect public safety.”

Sunday River engineer Joe Aloisio told the board last week that “a prudent person can drive the road safely” now.

Planning Board Chairman Doug Webster said he was more concerned about erosion, noting that water flows across the road and the culverts are filled in.

Aloisio said condo owners are responsible for maintaining culverts for their parking lots and driveways.

But Leonard Amburgey, president of the Fall Line Association, told planners an engineer had taken video recently of the road during a heavy thunderstorm. Amburgey said the water flow “stemmed from Lift 6, the proposed road for the development, put several inches of water into the west wing of the building, completely blocked one of our culverts and began undermining the road at our entrance.”

Planning Board member Brooks Morton noted that the original road had been constructed under old road standards. But, he said, it would not be unreasonable to ask for a plan to bring the road up to current town standards, taking into consideration existing conditions. He said the board would be authorized “to accept any reasonable plan.”

Wendy Polonski agreed, saying a plan could bring the road as near as possible to current standards.

Webster asked Code Enforcement Officer Dave Bonney if the standards for ditches and culverts would be sufficient to handle water from strong thunderstorms.

Bonney said the standards use a 25-year flood as the point of reference, and there would be no guarantee the culverts could stand up to everything that weather might produce.

Morton made the motion to ask for a road plan.

Sunday River Senior Vice President of Development Mark Hall, who also attended the meeting, asked that all requests from the board now be put in writing because lawyers are involved. He said Sunday River’s attorney had reviewed Katsiaficas’ letter and Sunday River would respond to it.

Amburgey has said his condo association is not opposed overall to the project but has specific concerns.

The board also discussed concerns about Sunday River’s well water supply in the context of the added development. Sunday River presented information on well yield and capacity. Planning Board member Dave Bartlett, a former water manager for Sunday River, said after reading information provided by a well company about the resort’s water supply, he still had concerns about the possible impact a lack of sufficient water could have on guests.

The board did not reach a firm conclusion on that topic at the meeting. They will consider the application further at their Aug. 2 meeting.

Alison Aloisio is married to Sunday River engineer Joe Aloisio.