Projo 7 to 7 News Blog

Walgreens is looking for a zone change so it can have a drive-through pharmacy window, like CVS up the street.

But changing the zone would mean that the project wouldn't conform to 14 requirements, so it would need 14 variances from the Town Council.

"The way some people have described it, it's ten pounds of development in a five-pound bag," said Planning Director Lee R. Whitaker.

Some Planning Board members have already expressed reservations about the project.

Walgreens has been talking with the town about the proposal for more than a year.

Traffic is expected to be the biggest obstacle.

That part of Main Street is already one of the most dangerous in town, in part because of the nearby Dunkin' Donuts, where cars lined up for the drive-through window regularly block traffic.

The staff report on the Walgreens proposal says the plan poses similar problems.

Whitaker said there is concern that traffic at the store might block the intersection of Main Street and First Avenue.

The state is planning to ease congestion there by adding a right-turn lane for drivers going from First Avenue to Main Street. Yet the proposal doesn't take that into consideration.

There's no room to add a lane later. The building would be too close to First Avenue.

The plan only calls for enough room for four cars to wait at the drive-up window, and enough space for two cars exiting. The town standard says there needs to be space for ten vehicles waiting in line, and enough room for three exiting.

In addition, the Walgreens proposal has only a third of the parking required by a building of that size in the zoning designation that the company wants.

And it will, according to the drawings, include an entrance door on Main Street that won't actually work.

Gene Emergy, (401)277-7442