By Amanda Estes

Staff Writer

    More than a year after creating a new zone in
Willard Square to accommodate a proposed mixed used development on the
corner of Willow and Preble Streets, the South Portland council
approved a curb cut on the property, allowing the property owners to
proceed with a site plan.

    The lack of a site plan, however, proved to be
problematic for Councilor Kay Loring who along with Linda Boudreau
voted against the curb cut. With Ralph Baxter absent, the order passed
with a vote of 4-2.

    Property owners Lisa Foster and Mark Foley proposed
a development with first floor retail and second floor residential
units. Last July, the council created the “Village Square–Willard
Square” zone, which exempts development on the square from the density
and parking restrictions in what was previously a “Limited Business”
zone.

    According to Acting City Manager Jim Gailey, the
45-feet wide curb cut on Willow will allow the property owners to
preserve trees on the property while meeting the required amount of
off-street parking spaces.

    Foster lives in England and was not present at
Monday’s meeting. Reached by email on Tuesday morning, Foster said the
curb cut will move the retail development forward.

    “Our site is constrained by the desire to protect
the two large…trees on Preble and to provide for an outdoor deck under
these trees for summer time retail use hence the need for the parking
along Willow,” she said.

    Dana Anderson, Director of Parks, Recreation and
Public Works, denied Foster’s curb cut application, dated May 25, 2006,
due to the location’s proximity to an existing intersection. According
to a memo from Anderson to Foster, a city ordinance “prohibits the
installation of a curb cut within 200 feet of an intersection, and
additionally [it] would pose a dangerous situation.”

    In a position paper to the council, Gailey also said the ordinance prohibits curb cuts wider than 35 feet.

    Anderson said he would support the curb cut if
Foster “provide[d] caution signage at each sidewalk entrance and
tactile paving at each end, for visual and impaired warnings.”

    Boudreau expressed concerns about speeding motorists traveling along Preble and onto Willow.

    “I just feel like this is a dangerous situation waiting to happen,” she said.

    She also said that with a retail business, cars will
likely be in and out of the five parking spaces all day. 

    Maxine Beecher and Jim Hughes, however, said they didn’t anticipate traffic related problems.

    “I’m less concerned about the traffic, personally,
because the traffic counts to me are relatively low,” said Hughes.

    According to a traffic study conducted in May by
Maine Traffic Resources, there were 26 vehicles entering Willow Street
between the peak hour of 7:45 a.m. and 8:45 a.m. and 19 between the
peak hour of 3 and 4 p.m. 

    Jim Soule and Mayor Claude Morgan both expressed
their faith in Anderson’s recommendations with Soule stating he could
approve the curb cut with those recommendations in place.

    Morgan favored moving forward, stating this step is
an “integral part of a long process of planning that’s been going on
around the square.”

    As far as the development is concerned, Foster said it currently consists of five small residential units.

    “Our market study of housing in the neighborhood
completed at the end of last year determined that the neighborhood
would be better served by more affordable housing so we have spent the
year re-designing the development to provide four smaller two bed and
bath homes rather than two large houses,” she said.

    Foster said funding continues to be a challenge and
she is considering options such as “Euroland borrowing” or phasing the
project into two stages.

    “We are interested to hear from any business
thinking of moving to the Willard Square area and needing street level
or second floor level space,” she said.    

    Foster said she expects to begin the planning board review process this fall.