GORHAM – A gas station Cumberland Farms is proposing in South Gorham stirred some neighborhood opposition at a Planning Board public hearing on Monday.

Cumberland Farms, which already has a store and gas station in Gorham Village, is seeking permission to build a 4,513-square-foot convenience store and gas station at 74 County Road, a site owned by Hans Hansen. Gorham in 2011 granted Hansen a contract zone that would allow a variety of businesses at his property, including gas stations.

The proposed Cumberland Farms facility would be at the intersection of County Road (Route 22) and South Street (Route 114) – two heavily traveled commuter routes. But, the retail giant wants the town to modify its contract zone requirements about parking.

With mounting opposition to a gas station, several residents on Monday aired concerns about their wells, noise, traffic and even gun-toting robbers in their neighborhood.

Richard Shiers, 133 County Road, objected to the town allowing a gas station in the area that is not served by public water and sewer.

“I think this application should be turned down,” said Shiers, a former Planning Board member.

The Cumberland Farms store and gas station would be adjacent to the Mercy Hospital facility that opened a few years ago in Hansen’s renovated, former agricultural building.

“It’s going to make a huge improvement in South Gorham,” Hansen said following Monday’s meeting.

The town’s recent vision for commercial growth under contract zoning in South Gorham had restricted parking to rear of buildings in a village-type setting. But, Cumberland Farms is seeking permission to amend that contract zone to allow parking in front and side yards of its proposed store.

This week, the Planning Board voted 4-1 (Christopher Hickey opposed) backed the amendment requested by Cumberland Farms.

“I don’t have a problem with the way it’s being set up,” Planning Board member Tom Hughes said.

Planners forwarded its recommendation to adopt the amendment to the Town Council. Planning Board Chairman Edward Zelmanow said the council would hold its own public hearing on the amendment and decide the matter.

But, the Planning Board would have final say on plans for the project.

Meanwhile, the gas station proposal has fueled opposition.

Martha Buisman, 23 Burnham Road, said “God forbid” a fuel spill contaminating neighbors’ water supplies. “Our concern is, we all have wells,” Buisman said.

Barry King of 44 County Road said his well is only 16 feet in the ground.

Buisman also said convenience stores are targeted by robbers. She worried about an armed gunman walking through the woods near her home.

Bernadette Woodcock, 11 Tapley Drive, had multiple concerns and said that Gorham voters in 2004 had rejected a referendum to rezone the area for commercial uses.

“A big gas station there doesn’t do it,” Woodcock said.

Project engineer Tom Greer of Pinkham and Greer represented Cumberland Farms and addressed concerns of neighbors. Regarding issues about fuel spills, Greer said there would be multiple layers of protection and that the gas station’s fuel system would have a double wall and alarms.

The proposal requires a Maine Department of Environmental Protection permit.

The project would widen the intersection, creating a left turn in the westbound lane. Traffic engineer Diane Morabito of Maine Traffic Resources said the project has been granted a traffic movement permit by the Maine Department of Transportation. Morabito said the facility would not add new trips to the traffic system.

Greer said the zoning amendment could be heard by the Town Council in August and the project could be on a Planning Board agenda in September. Greer said the earliest construction could start would be by the end of October.

After the council granted a contract zone to Hansen in 2011, it approved several other requests from South Gorham property owners. On Monday, Shiers opposed amending the contract zone for Cumberland Farms.

“It’s going to come back to haunt you,” Shiers said.

Engineer Tom Greer on Monday shows Gorham Planning Board plans for a Cumberland Farms gas station and convenience store proposed for South Gorham.