OXFORD — The construction of a four-story hotel was given the go-ahead by the Oxford Planning Board at its meeting Thursday evening. 

In a unanimous vote, board members approved the site plan submitted by Casalinova Development Group, the company behind the project. 

Board members still need to sign off on final plans that will be coming “immediately,” according to the developer.

In June, CDG President Joe Casalinova announced plans to build a 80-120 room hotel with an attached restaurant directly across the road from the Oxford Casino on Route 26.

The project is not affiliated with the Oxford Casino.

The hotel is being built on 4.3 acres of farm and grazing land owned by Suzanne Hall.

Plans submitted to the board include the hotel, attached restaurant and front parking lot directly and three tiered parking lots placed down the slope behind the hotel. 

In a presentation at a public hearing held during Thursday’s board meeting, Casalinova said the project had received all the necessary permits from state agencies and passed an archeology review. 

A peer-review of the plans, requested by the Planning Board at its Aug. 8 meeting, recommends minor changes to the project, Casalinova said. 

The review, by Main-Land Development Consultants from Livermore Falls, suggests the company’s designs include guardrails for the edge of the down-gradient edge of the parking lots and the removal of a landscape tree in a dividing island, among other small alterations.

Maine-Land President Bob Berry, who attended Thursday’s meeting, said the recommendations were nothing of major substance.

“In short, I don’t have any problems with the project,” Berry told board members. “It will be a good project.”

There were no comments or questions from the fewer than 20 people who attended the public hearing. 

Casalinova said designs had already been altered to conform to Main-Land’s recommendations and would be submitted to the board very soon. 

He requested the board approve the project and allow CDG to submit the final plans to Oxford Code Enforcement Officer Rodney Smith, rather than wait to file them with the entire board at another meeting. 

“The whole purpose of this is to keep the project on time line and on schedule,” Casalinova said. 

Following the vote, Planning Board Chairman Walt Mosher said the project was approved and ready to go ahead but the final plans still needed board member’s signatures.

“There’s nothing that says we (the board) can’t change our mind,” Mosher said. 

Following the meeting, Casalinova said he was excited for the project to start. 

“This is just the beginning,” Casalinova said. “We still have a lot of work ahead of us, but this was a very exciting and very rewarding milestone.” 

In June, Casalinova said the company would be looking to break ground on the project as soon as possible and hoped to have the hotel open by spring 2014.

pmcguire@sunjournal.com

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