Despite concerns from the public about traffic and safety, Westbrook’s proposed Dirigo Plaza shopping center seems poised for final approval this fall.

If approved, the mega-project, anchored by Walmart, could open as early as October 2017. Developer Jeffrey Gove of J&J Gove Development did not disclose any more tenants at a Planning Board public hearing Tuesday, but said the majority are “national tenants.”

A few residents posed questions about the added traffic in an area already burdened by aging intersections surrounding the former Pike Industries site between Main Street, Larrabee Road and the Westbrook Arterial. Entrances to the plaza are proposed on all three roads.

A traffic study has been completed by traffic engineers working for the developer, and a traffic mitigation plan has been negotiated between both Westbrook and Portland, the Maine Department of Transportation and the developers.

Gove said Tuesday that the development team will be paying a “considerable” amount of money for intersection upgrades and traffic mitigation associated with the site. This includes a major overhaul of the intersection at Main Street and Larrabee Road, and Portland intersections at Larrabee Road and Riverside Street at the entrance to Interstate 95.

“Is there something you can do to relieve it?” said resident Mike Lynch, referring to traffic issues at exits 47 and 48 of the interstate. “That’s a lot of traffic.”

Carolyn Barschow, who lives on Forest Street, said she routinely rides her bike into Portland, and said there is an obvious need for intersection improvements, especially for cyclists. She argued that making it easier for cyclists would only reduce the amount of cars on the road.

A traffic engineer working for Gove has predicted more than 13,300 new trips to the site on an average weekday, and 18,800 on a peak Saturday.

Gove said there will be dedicated bike lanes included in the traffic improvements along Main Street. The mitigation plan in Portland has not yet been approved.

Barschow also said she hoped that more local retailers would be involved in the project – businesses that are “dedicated to paying a living wage.”

Other questions Tuesday centered on the proposed lake – now a pit – seen as a centerpiece of the site plan. Developers plan to allow the gravel pit used for decades by Pike Industries to fill with water, which they say will take five years. The site plan includes a walking path with lights and benches surrounding the 20-acre, 315-foot-deep pit. Developers said they plan to stock the lake with fish and will erect a warming hut for the winter months.

“Is this a place where I’ll feel safe, and want to ride my bicycle?” Barschow said. “Is this going to end up a place where no one wants to go?”

City Planner Jennie Franceschi said the police department, which has a bike unit, could possibly add the area into its patrol.

Dirigo Plaza is designed with a north and south campus split by railroad tracks. Wayne Morrill, an engineer from Jones and Beach Engineers, said the first phase of construction will build the north campus, along Main Street, and the necessary infrastructure for the south campus, including the entrance along the Westbrook Arterial.

Steve Willette, who lives on Stroudwater Street, asked if the Walmart building would be LEED-certified, meaning resource efficient.

“If you’re going to put a Walmart in Westbrook, it’s probably the best site,” he said, but added that he’s also concerned for the traffic.

Willette also spoke out last week at a public meeting regarding the Blue Spruce Farm subdivision off Spring Street, where he said the city should assess the developer impact fees. He said the city should look at similar measures for Dirigo Plaza.

“Growth should pay its own way,” he said.

Franceschi said that while the city does not require impact fees, Westbrook building permit fees are slightly more expensive than many surrounding municipalities.

Perry Petrillo, the architect working on behalf of Walmart, said the 154,000-square-foot building would not be not LEED-certified, but uses many efficiency measures. Petrillo also presented an updated architectural rendering of the proposed Walmart, which he said had been altered following comments from city planning staff. The Walmart would be similar in size to the Walmart in Scarborough.

The announcement that Walmart would be an anchor tenant was met with a mixed reaction from the public this spring. Willette said Walmarts are also known to require an added police presence.

Petrillo called the updated design “clean and fresh,” and said new materials are intended to break down the scale of the building, and make it more inviting.

Dirigo Plaza also calls for a fast-food restaurant and two sit-down restuarants with patios, one of which would overlook the lake.

The Planning Board unanimously approved Tuesday a parking waiver for the site, which allows the developer to build less parking than required by the city. The development will have 1,414 spaces for the roughly 500,000 square feet of retail.

“We didn’t want it to look like a sea of pavement,” Morrill said.

When the development team receives its final state approvals, the Planning Board will schedule a final vote on the project. Franceschi expects that to be sometime in September.

Wayne Morrill of Jones and Beach Engineers presents updated information to residents and Planning Board members on the proposed Dirigo Plaza retail center Tuesday.