FARMINGTON — The Planning Board on Monday night unanimously approved the application for a ConvenientMD medical facility at 118 Knowlton Corner Road, next to Pizza Hut.

Mike d’Hemecourt, developer at Harborlight Properties of Portland, said “This will be our fifth ConvenientMD, with our most recent in Belfast.

“Part of the reason we’ve done so many ConvenientMDs, why we like to work with them so much, is because they’re so community focused. They have a great reputation throughout New England.”

The medical building will be 5,310 square feet, set back about 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: 22 trips during peak morning hours, 19 trips during peak afternoon hours, and 16 trips during peak Saturday hours, d’Hemecourt said.

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

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

“That corner has to be the worst intersection in Farmington and we are adding more traffic to it,” Planning Board member Gloria McGraw noted.

The Farmington Planning Board meets Monday night, when it approved the application for ConvenientMD to build a medical facility next to Pizza Hut at 118 Knowlton Corner Road in Farmington. From left are members Michael Guerrette, Jeffrey Wright, Gloria McGraw, Clayton King Jr., Lloyd Smith, Michael Otley and Chairperson Judith Murphy. Pam Harnden/Livermore Falls Advertiser

Planning Board Chairperson Judith Murphy thought traffic issues were less severe heading toward town.

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

There will be two points where people can leave the facility, which will see fairly limited daily traffic, Hunnewell said. The traffic study estimates 196 trips per day.

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

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

Board member Michael Otley thought the application was very well done, but questioned the need for a ConvenientMD medical facility with MaineHealth Franklin Hospital, formerly Franklin Memorial Hospital, so close.

Hunnewell said ConvenientMD does a good job working with hospitals, which helps relieve pressure.

Christopher Renaud, an anesthesiologist from the hospital, spoke of long waits in the emergency department. MaineHealth was working on it and could be starting an acute care program, he said, and wasn’t sure if MaineHealth knew about this proposal.

Renaud said it is already difficult to recruit qualified medical staff to Farmington. “Is this going to be poaching?” he asked. “Franklin Memorial Hospital has been part of the community a long time,” he added.

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

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