New Chick-Fil-A Approved for Maine Mall Outparcel, Expected to Enhance Commercial Area

South Portland, ME – The City of South Portland Planning Board has officially approved a Site Plan application from UGM Development, LLC to construct a new Chick-Fil-A restaurant with a drive-through at the Macy’s Outparcel Lot A, located at 390 Gorham Road. This marks a significant development for the area, transforming a currently paved parking lot for the Maine Mall into a bustling new dining establishment. The project, approved on August 27, 2025, aligns with the City’s vision for growth and development in the Maine Mall Mixed-Use Area.

Development and Business Plan Highlights

The proposed Chick-Fil-A will feature a 94-seated restaurant, with 78 seats indoors and an additional 16 on an outdoor patio. It will employ 12 people and include two drive-through travel lanes for vehicles, along with new pedestrian walkways, landscaping, drainage, a dumpster area, and lighting improvements.

Key aspects of the development and business plan include:

• Project Cost and Financial Capacity: The estimated project cost is $4 million. UGM Development, LLC, as the applicant, has submitted a letter from the tenant, Chick-Fil-A, Inc., indicating their financial capacity for the build-out, along with a $1 million loan commitment from UGM's bank. However, evidence for the full cost of the project is still a condition of approval.
• Construction Timeline: The project has an anticipated construction timeline of one year from Planning Board approval. A 24-month approval validity has been granted to accommodate potential delays in securing necessary electrical equipment.
• Parking: The site will offer 38 parking spaces, including two ADA-compliant spaces, with six being newly constructed. One EV-installed parking space and one EV-capable parking space are also required and provided. Importantly, the project benefits from a cross-access parking easement with Macy’s/Maine Mall, providing access to a total of 841 shared parking spaces across Lots A through G.
• Landscaping: The project will significantly increase the landscaped area of the site from an existing 2.7% to 15%, helping to reduce an existing non-conforming condition. The landscaping plan incorporates a mix of canopy trees, evergreen trees, ornamental trees, shrubs, grasses, and perennial plants, and must only use native plant species.
• Stormwater Management: The development will reduce the impervious area from 94.25% to 84.42%, leading to a decrease in peak flow rates and overall stormwater runoff into both the Long Creek Watershed Management District (LCWMD) MS4 system and the City’s MS4. A Contech CDS hydrodynamic separator will be installed for stormwater pretreatment, replacing previously unapproved filter cartridges.
• Waivers: The Planning Board granted waivers for the after-the-fact submission of the Maine DOT Traffic Movement Permit and the Maine DEP and LCWMD Site Location of Development Permit (SLODA) Amendment Permits. A waiver was also approved for lighting standards, allowing for higher average light levels under the order and pickup canopies (29.69 and 26.41 foot-candles, respectively) to enhance safety and visibility in the vehicle-oriented context of the mall.

Surrounding Businesses

The new restaurant will be situated directly west of the Macy's retail outlet within the larger Maine Mall parking lot. The area along Maine Mall Road and Gorham Road is characterized by various strip malls, offering a mix of retail, personal services, restaurants, and hotels. While other restaurants are present, this will be the first with a drive-through in the immediate vicinity of the Macy’s department store. Other notable nearby businesses referenced in traffic mitigation plans include the Longhorn Steakhouse, McDonald’s, a gas station, Berlin City Honda of Portland, and Mallside Plaza. The project is viewed as an infill development that complements the existing commercial activity and contributes to the economic development of the Maine Mall site.

Traffic Expectations and Mitigation

The proposed development is expected to generate 289 trips during the weekday PM Peak Hour and 413 trips during the Saturday Peak Hour. This volume exceeds the 99-trip threshold, necessitating a Traffic Movement Permit (TMP) from MaineDOT. A draft TMP has been received, with the final permit issuance anticipated.

Key traffic mitigation measures required by MaineDOT include:

• On-Site Mitigation:
  • Providing overhead illumination at all entrances to MaineDOT standards.
  • Constructing sidewalks and crosswalks to interconnect the central Maine Mall building, the new Chick-Fil-A building, the Maine Mall Road sidewalk, and parking areas throughout the development site.
• Off-Site Mitigation:
  • Designing and constructing a signalized pedestrian crossing across Maine Mall Road at the intersection with Gorham Road, including dynamic "No Turn on Red" and "Turning Traffic Yield to Pedestrian" blank-out signs.
  • Building a sidewalk connecting this new pedestrian crossing to the existing sidewalk along the southerly side of Running Hill Road.
  • Installing and/or replacing various signs, lines, and markings at Philbrook Avenue at Route 703 Off-Ramp, Gorham Road (at McDonald's, gas station, and Maine Mall driveways), and Maine Mall Road (at Berlin City Honda and Mallside Plaza driveways) to improve safety.

The project's primary vehicular access will be through existing Maine Mall entrances on Maine Mall Road and Gorham Road. The drive-through lanes are designed to hold over 30 queued vehicles, ensuring that any queuing does not impede emergency vehicle access or impact other nearby properties.

While the City and Maine DOT have an existing financial agreement for some sidewalk construction, the applicant is responsible for the sidewalk under the draft TMP conditions. To account for potential delays, a performance guarantee will be provided, allowing for conditional occupancy of the restaurant if the sidewalk is not completed by the project's opening, with a final deadline of September 1, 2027, for completion.

With these comprehensive measures and conditions in place, the project is anticipated to manage traffic generation effectively, preventing unreasonable public road congestion or unsafe conditions, thereby meeting the City's requirements.