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Proposed Route 1 gas station prompts traffic and lighting concerns; hearing continued to July 7
Summary
Haley Ward representative presented a site plan for a gas station and convenience store at 952 Portland Road and addressed peer‑review comments on canopy lighting, oil/water capture, traffic counts and truck movements; the Planning Board opened the public hearing, heard no public speakers and continued the matter to July 7, 2026 for additional traffic and mitigation details.
Drew Oleyowski of Haley Ward, representing Route 1 Gas LLC, briefed the Planning Board on a proposed gas station and convenience store at 952 Portland Road (Map 62, Lot 19). His team said canopy lighting around the fuel pumps may exceed the city's 20‑foot‑candle ground‑level standard and that, while Portland Pump Company’s typical fixtures produce higher light levels, they will explore fixture options and potentially request a waiver. "We're expecting there to be foot candle levels higher than 20, which is the city standard for canopies," Drew said.
The applicant also addressed stormwater and oil‑management concerns. Drew said the pump pad is chemically treated and the paving includes grooves intended to capture small spills before they reach the stormwater system; the team noted Ferguson, the stormwater system designer, confirmed the site's stormwater components can handle hydrocarbons at the design level and indicated the city engineer will grant final approval if satisfied. The board asked whether an oil/water separator should be required; the applicant and staff said they would discuss that further with the city engineer.
Traffic emerged as the most significant planning concern. Jeff Brochu cited a peer‑review finding that nearby intersections already operate at poor levels of service and noted an estimated "increase of 74 seconds northbound to Cascade Road in the afternoon" in the peer review. Board members and staff discussed access mitigation: adding a medians, mountable islands and signs to enforce a right‑in/right‑out pattern, or limiting access to right‑in only from the southbound lane. Staff said medians or changes to Route 1 could require Maine DOT coordination and possibly additional applicant work.
Drew said he expects updated traffic counts will be submitted shortly; the team may adjust signal timing, signage and the site driveway design in response. Other technical items to be refined in a resubmission include grease‑trap calculations, roof‑mounted HVAC noise specifications and expanded snow‑storage areas. The board opened the public hearing; no members of the public spoke. The board voted unanimously to continue the public hearing and application review to July 7, 2026 to allow DPW, DOT coordination and updated traffic and noise information.
