SOUTH PORTLAND – The South Portland Planning Board will hold a public hearing next week on zoning changes that would ban drive-throughs in the Main Street area of the Thornton Heights neighborhood.

However, the ban, if approved, would not apply to the current proposal to build a new Dunkin’ Donuts at the corner of Westbrook Street and Route 1, according to Steve Puleo, the city’s community planner.

Since the developers for the Dunkin’ Donuts project have already submitted a concept plan, Puleo said it would not be affected by the proposal for the new Main Street Community Commercial Zone.

The purpose of the new zone, which comes before the Planning Board at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 22, is to “provide a higher density, mixed residential and commercial hub within the Thornton Heights neighborhood.”

According to the language of the new zoning ordinance, the area would become “a destination business district that effectively balances pedestrian accessibility and safety with the need to maintain vehicular mobility. It is a mixed-use center providing services to the surrounding neighborhood as well as to Main Street motorists.”

The new zone would allow for a variety of housing and commercial uses, including medical and professional offices. Although a bank would be allowed to offer a drive-through, the new zone would not permit “drive-through facilities for restaurants or other establishments selling food or beverages.”

In addition, the new zone calls for a buffer, including trees, shrubs or fences, between any residential and commercial use.

And all such buffering must “be sufficient to ameliorate commercial or other non-residential views that otherwise would be detrimental to the quality of life of the abutting residential occupants and/or to their property values.”

The new zone, if approved, would also impose design standards on any new construction.

The planning office, located at 496 Ocean St., has copies of the new zoning proposal for anyone interested in the specific details.

– Kate Irish Collins