FARMINGTON – The Planning Board voted Monday to hold a site review of the Rite-Aid proposed for the Intervale. The review is scheduled for 5 p.m., Wednesday, May 30.

Because of public interest, the board also decided to hold a public hearing on the project at its June 11 meeting.

Members of the board and audience expressed concern over the aesthetics of the proposed building, which would be built where C.N. Brown, the former Quiznos Restaurant and Farmington Diner are located.

“It seemed good that the board was in tune with what the public wants,” said Steven Kaiser, code enforcement officer, on Tuesday. “The architects don’t know how much the town cares till they’re reminded.”

The proposed project includes a 14,670-square-foot building with 65 parking spaces and a two-lane pharmacy drive through – one lane for dropping off prescriptions and one for prescription pickup.

While there is little room for landscaping, the plan includes several shade trees scattered around the property. The building was described by architect Scott Vlasec as more New England-style than the contemporary-style that Rite-Aid has been using.

Board member Clayton King asked about the Bethel and Rockland Rite-Aid stores, and whether something more contemporary might be good for the area. “We want it to look nice as we come into town,” he said.

Board member William Marceau said he would like to have “two or three designs to look at, designs that follow the community spirit as an entry into the community.”

Brent Poi, survey and site engineer for the project, said the ideas and questions raised at the meeting would be taken back to Rite-Aid, which is looking for feedback and concerns on this initial presentation.

Along with the architecture and landscaping, questions about traffic were raised by board members.

The plan includes closing three curb cuts, explained Tom Gorrill of Gorrill-Palmer Consulting Engineers. The plan includes one entrance next to the Irving Mainway and a reconfiguration of the Park and Ride so that customers can enter/exit through the existing lights at the intersection of routes 2 and 4. The project, he said, should improve traffic flow reducing problems with cars turning into the existing businesses.

Gorrill proposed making the traffic lane turning from the Intervale onto Route 2 a designated left-hand-turn-only lane with the rest of traffic remaining in the right lane through the lights before moving back to the left lane over the bridge.

Better lighting of the Park and Ride was suggested, and Gorrill was questioned as to the possibility that the plan would interfere with those using the Park and Ride. He responded that the reconfigured traffic pattern would improve traffic flow in that area, and would cost only one parking space at the Park and Ride.