Hospices will be allowed in town, following the Scarborough Town Council’s approval of changes to the zoning ordinance to permit the buildings in residential areas.

The move was motivated by a proposal from Hospice of Southern Maine to build a 16-bed facility on donated land on Hunnewell Road.

There have been some neighborhood complaints about traffic levels resulting from Hospice of Southern Maine’s proposal, but at Wednesday’s council meeting many supporters came out to urge the council to allow hospices.

Larry Gross, executive director of the Southern Maine Agency on Aging and a Hospice of Southern Maine board member, said the facility would be an important community resource. He also pointed out that a number of traffic-causing businesses are allowed in residential zones including churches, schools and day cares.

“This passes the straight face test when you look at other special exceptions in the R2 areas,” agreed Councilor Patrick O’Reilly.

Ann Stockbridge, a Hospice of Southern Maine board member, said the hospice would prefer to build its facility in a residential area, which will provide it with a home like atmosphere.

The will be the first hospice in southern Maine, a fact that is not lost on Stockbridge, who said Maine lags behind the rest of the country in hospice care.

Planning for the hospice has not been completed, but according to Rebecca Dillon of Gawron Turgeon Architects, the goal is to have the facility fit into the neighborhood and will retain a home-like faA?§ade with shingles and a slanted roof.

Hunnewell Road resident Mark Bernstein said he was not opposed to the concept, but does not like the location. He was mainly concerned with the amount of traffic the hospice would generate on a small road.

“It’s totally ridiculous to think that kind of traffic is appropriate for that neighborhood,” he said.

Councilors unanimously supported the concept and felt a hospice would be a good addition to the town. Their vote did not approve the proposal now in development by Hospice of Southern Maine. Rather, it gave the organization the chance to go through the building process, which in this case will mean seeking approval from both the Zoning Board of Appeals and Planning Board.