FARMINGTON – Customers of a Farmington landmark may have to find a new place for their morning coffee and conversation.

The Farmington Diner on the Intervale may cease to exist if an application for a new, retail pharmacy for Rite-Aid is approved by the Farmington Planning Board. Plans for the new building include a drive-through window and 65 parking spaces.

The application was submitted by FARMRA, LLC on April 25 to build a 14,673-square-foot building on 1.37 acres on the site of three Intervale Road buildings. Proposed sale agreements with the owners of Farmington Diner, a C.N. Brown service station and the vacant lot, most recently home to Quiznos Restaurant owned by Steven Field and Robert Tate, are included in the application.

Rite-Aid’s presently leased-location on Water Street in West Farmington is only a 9,955-square-foot site.

Prior to the application, the company met with the Maine Department of Transportation to work out a plan to allow an entrance/exit through the Park and Ride, said Steven Kaiser, code enforcement officer. An entrance/exit would be located next to Irving Mainway and traffic would then continue around the new building. The plan calls for only two entrances to eliminate traffic congestion that can now be a problem with cars at the lights and cars trying to get to the present business sites.

The proposed site is in a flood zone, but Kaiser said the plan calls for a system of diffusers located below the parking lot to collect and disperse water. Kaiser also said there are different methods of storm water management and ways to flood proof a building to allow for construction in the flood zone. The site, he said, is mostly sand and gravel.

Brian Wood of Farmington Diner said Friday that neither he nor his brother, Russell, owner of the property, have any plans to move the Farmington Diner to another site. It would be very costly and where would we move it, he said. Everything is so expensive with grains going into ethanol production, it raises the cost of chicken, pork and even pancake mix. People come in wanting good, inexpensive food, but it’s getting harder to do that so maybe it’s a blessing in disguise, he said.

Representatives from the applicant, FARMRA, LCC, and C.N. Brown were unavailable for comment Friday afternoon.

The Planning Board will start a review of the application when they meet at 7 p.m. Monday, May 14, at the town office. Kaiser said the board may want a site review and a couple meetings to look at the plan details.