By Renee Worthing
Register Reporter
   While there are drive-up windows at many businesses in Sanford and Springvale, no zoning ordinances exist that recognize them, define them or regulate how they may be accessed or exited by traffic.
   Sanford Planning and Community Development Director Jim Gulnac said failure to identify drive-up windows specifically addressed drive-up windows at banks and other financial institutions.
   He said the lack of wording in the zoning ordinance forced the planning board to consider each application for a drive-up window on a case-by-case basis.
   In response to continuing requests for drive-up window access, the planning board drafted a proposal to the zoning ordinance, which Gulnac presented the town council on Dec. 4.
   According to the proposed zoning ordinance changes, a drive-up/drive-through window would be defined as “a portion of a business or a structure which allows the distribution of a product(s) through an access point to serve client(s) in a motor vehicle(s).”
   The change also includes a restriction that would limit how a drive-up/drive-through window is accessed by traffic.
   The planning board suggested “there will no direct access (either entrance or exit) to Routes 4, 109, 202, 11A and 224.”
   However, Gulnac said drive-up windows already in use could be recognized in a clause that would allow businesses with a drive-up to remain as they are.
   If the council accepts the proposal, businesses wishing to employ a drive-up window would be required to create an entrance and exit from a secondary road.
   Gulnac cited York County Credit Union in south Sanford as an example of a financial institution that was required to have access from a secondary road in order to use a drive-up window.
   The creation of Patriots Lane created provided secondary road access for establishments that front the new road.
   Gulnac said if Patriots Lane had not been created, the businesses would have only had access from Route 109, a major road.
   A new business in Springvale, the Dunkin’ Donuts drive-through, also conformed to the secondary street access rule and will use Stiles Avenue as it’s access road instead of Main Street/Route 109.
   Gulnac said another proposal discussed by the planning board subcommittee was to disallow left hand turns out of drive-through windows.
   However, Gulnac said “right entry in and right exit out” concept for drive-through windows on major roadways spurred a brief discussion. He said while some members of the zoning board subcommittee were in favor of the concept, others expressed concern about restricting left hand turns because drivers often ignore them anyway.
   “When you deny people a left-hand turn, human nature takes over,“ he said. “If you want to make it (a left hand turn), you’re going to.”
   Councilor Maura Herlihy said she was not in favor of not restricting access into or out of drive-throughs and preferred to leave it up to the planning board on a case-by-case basis.
   “I have a hard time restricting access to those roads especially if they are designed well and can move traffic well,” she said.
   The proposed ordinance must be read on two separate occasions. This was the first reading.