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Applicant outlines sketch plan for new gas station at 952 Portland Road
Summary
Route 1 Gas LLC presented a sketch plan to the Saco Planning Board on Dec. 9 proposing a ~2,200 sq. ft. convenience building and four pumps (eight fueling positions) on a 30,000 sq. ft. lot at 952 Portland Road; the board flagged traffic movements, truck turning and buffering for adjacent residences as issues to be addressed in later submissions.
Route 1 Gas LLC and its engineer introduced a sketch plan for a gas station at 952 Portland Road, a corner lot the applicant said historically hosted a station. Drew Olajowski of Haley Ward told the Planning Board the proposal includes a roughly 2,200‑square‑foot building, four pumps (eight fueling positions), an underground fuel tank, a dumpster and compact landscaping on a 30,000‑square‑foot lot.
"We're currently proposing 4 pumps which would be 8 fueling stations," Olajowski said, and added the team expects to remain under the MaineDOT 100 peak‑hour trip threshold by taking credit for pumps removed within the last 10 years. He said the project will reuse existing water and sewer stubs and will provide a local traffic study and a stormwater management plan in accordance with the city's site‑plan ordinance.
Board members focused on safe vehicle movements. Jim Moyer asked how left turns northbound onto Route 1 would be managed near the signal and whether drivers would be routed via Flag Pond Road to avoid stacking; Olajowski said the issue will be studied and they had no final solution yet. Board member Jeff Brusciau pressed for clarification on dumpster service and fuel‑delivery turning templates, warning that a WB50 turning template that requires a reverse maneuver could create safety hazards; Olajowski said the final drawings will identify actual truck sizes and turning paths.
Several members emphasized buffering for nearby residences and snow‑storage plans; vice chair Joyce Lurie Clark and others encouraged a vegetated fence or other screen between the commercial lot and homes on Flag Pond Road. The board did not take formal action; members repeatedly characterized the presentation as a conceptual sketch and asked staff and the applicant to return with a traffic study, engineered canopy drawings and turning templates that reflect the actual fuel‑delivery vehicle.
Next steps: the applicant will prepare a local traffic analysis, completed stormwater documentation and fully stamped structural and turning‑movement drawings for future site‑plan review.
