By James V. Horrigan
Staff Writer
Calling it “perhaps the No. 1 piece of vacant property in Scarborough,” outgoing Planning Board Chairman Susan Auglis led the opposition Monday night to a plan to demolish the vacant Burger King at Route One and Gorham Road and replace it with a CVS drugstore.
Bryant Anderson, project engineer with Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc, who brought the proposal before the planning board on behalf of project developers Gershman Brown & Associates, said the colonial style building, with pitched roof, gabled front entry, brick base and gray painted clapboards, blended in nicely with existing shops in the Oak Hill Plaza.
He touted the project’s parking, sidewalks and pedestrian access to Route One, as well as a drive-through window for prescription pick-up and drop-off. However, planning board member Allen Paul held up the planning board’s design standards and outlined several project components that appear to run contrary to the standards, including the proposed building’s blank façade fronting Route One, its location on a corner lot, the absence of two floors of usable retail or professional space, and the drive-through itself.
“You made a valiant attempt, but I don’t see this building on that corner,” Paul said.
Planning board member Bud Hanson agreed and said he was disturbed that the view from Route One might lead to accidents.
“I think the drive-through is in the wrong place. If I was Mr. CVS, I’d want people to come into my store and shop and say ‘The heck with the drive-through,’” he said.
Hanson told Anderson the developers missed the chance to be innovative and put in a building that would leave its mark on Scarborough.
“I’d like to see something spectacular there, something that will catch my eye and I travel by there 100 times a day already. Nothing against CVS, but I’m not excited about it at this location. This is a great place to have a great building,” Hanson said.
Auglis said because Scarborough doesn’t have a classic downtown, the parcel might be the best chance available to establish a village center as laid out in the town’s Comprehensive Plan.
It was the proposed drive-through however that generated the most opposition among planning board members.
“The building is nice, as far as it goes, but I would hate to see this prominent a site driven by the desire for a drive-through,” said planning board member Cory Fellows.
Allen echoed his statement, saying the developer’s ability to meet Scarborough design standards will be crucial to the project’s approval.
Hanson suggested one solution might be to have CVS move some of its corporate offices to the second floor, which as currently proposed, would remain vacant.
Planning Board Chairman Auglis agreed, saying that Scarborough was a good place to locate corporate offices.
“This is a great building, but it’s in the wrong spot. Put it down on Payne Road and it will be fine, there,” Hanson said.
After the meeting Anderson refused to speculate on whether the board’s feelings on the issue meant going back to the drawing board – or even abandoning the project altogether.
“I can understand their concerns, but that’s not our call to make,” Anderson said.
He said Gershman Brown & Associates will revisit the points raised at Monday’s meeting and come back before the planning Board again at a future date.
The next  Scarborough Planning Board meeting is scheduled for Dec. 28.