OLD ORCHARD BEACH — Officials continue to grapple with traffic issues for a proposed Dunkin’ Donuts at the corner of Ocean Park Avenue and Smithwheel Road.

JFJ Holdings, LLC, which owns a seasonal Dunkin’ Donuts on Old Orchard Street, is proposing to build a 2,080-square-foot yearround Dunkin’ Donuts at 14 Ocean Park Road, the site of the former Windsor Cabins motel. The entrance would be on Smithwheel Road.

At a public hearing at Thursday night’s Planning Board meeting, a number of people spoke out with concerns regarding the traffic at the proposed location.

“The major problem is the traffic,” said resident Pamela Lindsey. She said in the summer there were times when heavy traffic made it “just about impossible” to turn off Smithwheel Road onto Ocean Park Avenue, which leads to the spur to the highway. Lindsey noted other Dunkin’ Donuts that have traffic backed up to the street during peak hours. “Smithwheel is bad enough as it is,” she said.

Some, like resident Neal Weinstein, spoke in favor of the proposed Dunkin’ Donuts, saying it would bring a year-round business into town. He said it would get rid of the old motel, which looks like “a dump” and make the gateway to Old Orchard Beach more attractive.

Weinstein said the doughnut shop wouldn’t generate additional traffic from Saco and Biddeford. “It’s the same people who are using the road now,” he said.

Scott Braley of Plymouth Engineering, representing the developer, said he would consider input from residents when making changes to the proposal.

“It’s a challenging site, said Randy Dunton, a consultant from civil engineering firm Gorrill Palmer that was hired by the town to review the proposal. Some of the challenges include Ocean Park Avenue merging from two lanes to one lane near the proposed location, traffic speed and the potential of pedestrians crossing the street from a nearby campground to go to the proposed coffee shop.

“I think it’s a matter of compromise,” he said. Dunton said the Maine Department of Transportation would not approve a traffic light, as some residents had suggested. Instead, suggestions being considered include improvements to crosswalks and a pedestrian traffic light, he said.

The Planning Board will continue discussions on traffic concerns with the proposal at a workshop on Jan. 28 at 6 p.m.

— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 325 or [email protected].