30 condo units coming to Gorham
Gorham Approves New “Tiny‑House” Condominiums Targeting Older Residents
Gorham, Maine – The town’s Planning Board gave the green light this week to a 30‑unit condominium project that will bring a new type of housing to County Road (Route 22). After a year‑and‑a‑half of review, the developer—Susan Duchaine—will build a small community behind a Bee & Eez landscaping office at 34 County Road. The project, called Thistlewood Petit Condominiums, will offer 31 one‑bedroom homes, 75 % of which will be reserved for people 55 and older.
“The idea is to create a home for Mainers who are no longer ready to move to assisted living or who can’t afford the high cost of that lifestyle,” Duchaine told a local reporter. “If they’re spending half the year in Florida, they might still want a place to come home to, not a kid’s couch. They want a community of people near their own age.”
The development will form a loop road—Thistle Drive—containing ten low‑rise buildings. Each building will hold three “tiny” houses, giving the complex a total of 30 units, plus an extra one‑bedroom home that is already built and on the market. Unit sizes vary: about half are single‑story, 400 sq ft structures; the other half are two‑story, 600 sq ft units that include a dedicated office space. All units share common features—a 200‑sq‑ft front porch, a 12‑by‑24‑foot finished garage, kitchen, living area, and bathroom. Prices start at $350,000.
Beyond the homes, the plans call for sidewalks, a 10‑acre wooded buffer behind the buildings and a new westbound left‑turn lane on County Road to accommodate the expected increase in traffic. The lane is slated to be built before the condos, according to Duchaine.
The land sits on a 15.4‑acre parcel owned by Christina Mitchell, who lives in a house on the property with her handicapped sister. Mitchell and Duchaine jointly own the development and are responsible for getting the project approved. One of the key hurdles was reconfiguring the neighborhood’s layout to ensure emergency vehicles could access the units. While Duchaine and engineer Andy Morrell from BH2M originally proposed a right‑in/right‑out entrance and exit for safety, the town engineer insisted a left‑turn lane was necessary. The disagreement, along with the need for improved traffic flow, pushed the approval to its present date.
The town’s approval comes after the project was held up in 2024 and early 2025 for “emergency vehicle access and traffic” concerns. Local officials said the new lane and revised road design should solve the problems.
Construction is slated to begin in the next few weeks, with a goal of having the first units ready for buyers by February. “We want to list them immediately,” Duchaine said. “We want the buyers to move in by February.”
Residents who are interested in the project can view the detailed renderings that show the tiny‑house layout. The developer has also posted a sketch of the completed complex, illustrating the loop road, buildings, and surrounding woods.
The project is one of several that are being considered in Gorham as the town looks to accommodate an aging population. The town’s board will continue to monitor the development’s impact on traffic and emergency response, and the community will be notified as construction progresses.
