FARMINGTON — The Planning Board on Monday night, Sept. 9, unanimously approved the application for a Convenient MD facility to be built at 118 Knowlton Corner Road next to Pizza Hut.

The Farmington Planning Board on Monday night, Sept. 9, approved the application for Convenient MD to build a medical facility next to Pizza Hut at 118 Knowlton Corner Road in Farmington. Pictured from left during the meeting are members Michael Guerrette, Jeffrey Wright, Gloria McGraw, Clayton King Jr., Lloyd Smith, Michael Otley and Judith Murphy, chair. Pam Harnden/Livermore Falls Advertiser

“This will be our fifth Convenient MD, with our most recent in Belfast,” Mike d’Hemecourt, developer with Harborlight Properties in Portland said. “Part of the reason we’ve done so many Convenient MDs, why we like to work with them so much, is because they’re so community focused. They have a great reputation throughout New England.”

Having four kids, their services are well used by my family, d’Hemecourt noted.

The medical building will be 5,310 square feet, set back approximately 50 feet from Knowlton Corner Road and about 25 feet from the side and rear property boundaries, according to information provided.

It is designed to fit with the area’s architecture, with fieldstone columns and clapboard siding, d’Hemecourt said. The plan is to start building as soon as possible in the spring and finish by the end of the year, he said.

Traffic should be low impact use with 22 trips during the peak morning hour, 19 trips during peak afternoon hour, and 16 trips during peak Saturday hour, d’Hemecourt noted.

Planning Board Chair Judith Murphy noted 196 weekday trips were anticipated.

Access will be provided from two existing openings, on Wilton Road/Routes 2 and 4 and near H&R Block on Knowlton Corner Road, Jake Hunnewell, a civil engineer with Sebago Technics, Inc. in South Portland, said.

Planning Board member Clayton King Jr. said he was impressed with the traffic survey, it was pretty in depth.

“That corner has to be the worst intersection in Farmington and we are adding more traffic to it,” Planning Board member Gloria McGraw noted. She acknowledged the company probably couldn’t do anything about it.

Murphy thought traffic issues were less severe heading towards town.

“I know we want to promote future business,” Planning Board member Michael Guerrette said. If he plans to turn left onto Knowlton Corner Road he sometimes will go down to Domino’s to turn because people come so fast at that intersection, he noted.

There will be two points where people can leave the facility which will see fairly limited daily traffic, Hunnewell said.

Planning Board member Jeffrey Wright said he doesn’t like people turning left onto Wilton Road.

About 22,000 vehicles per day is the average traffic seen on Wilton Road according to the latest statistics seen by Steve Kaiser, head of code enforcement.

Planning Board member Michael Otley thought the application was very well done, questioned the need with the hospital so close.

Hunnewell said Convenient MD does a good job working with hospitals, helps relieve pressure.

Christopher Renaud, an anesthesiologist from the hospital spoke of long waits in the emergency department at MaineHealth Franklin Hospital, that MaineHealth was working on it and could be starting an acute care program at one of its facilities. He wasn’t sure if MaineHealth knew about this proposal. There is already a hard time recruiting qualified staff, “is this going to be poaching?” he asked. “Franklin Memorial Hospital [now part of MaineHealth] has been part of the community a long time,” he added.

Murphy said she has had to wait a long time in the emergency room in Farmington. “Any time we can give quick help is a good thing,” she noted.

“As a former business owner, competition is great,” King said. “I think it is a win win for the community.”