By Suzanne Hodgson

Staff Writer

Some residents of a Kennebunk neighborhood are gearing up for a fight they thought they won six years ago.

A cul-de-sac on Dunroven Drive in Kennebunk has become the battleground.

St. Martha’s Parish has received town approval to build an access road from the back of its parking lot to the cul-de-sac. But Dunroven Drive residents and others living on nearby roads have expressed concern that increased traffic might affect their quiet neighborhood.

“If the town is so neighbor-oriented and the church focuses on families, why would the four or five families that live on Dunroven be cast to the side?” asked resident Patti Peach-Lambert.

Peach-Lambert’s home is on Longview Terrace, overlooking the cul-de-sac. She has owned her home for eight years and said she bought it because of the quiet neighborhood.

Dunroven Drive intersects with Merrifield Drive and three other streets that connect around that same area.

Peach-Lambert said that intersection, along with speeders on Merrifield, could create a traffic hazard with the addition of church traffic.

Even though the town has already approved the access road, some residents are not happy and plan to continue the fight, even if that means going to court.

“As it stands now, the only step would be for the church to come back and say we’ll figure something else out or we’re going to go to court,” Peach-Lambert said.

Peach-Lambert said she and other neighbors have safety concerns in addition to the fear they’ll be affected by increased traffic.

However, the parish says the new access road will allow a safer exit route for its patrons. Drivers  exiting  the church parking lot now must turn left onto northbound Route 1, facing a dangerous and congested intersection, church representatives told the town

 “It’s because apparently Route 1 where the church is located has become very busy and it’s difficult to make a left-hand turn,” said Sue Bernard, Catholic Diocese spokesman. “Because of that, the church has approached the town.”

A traffic study by Sebago Technics presented Oct. 15 to the site plan review board showed a wait time of nearly 10 minutes for cars to exit the church parking lot and make a left turn.

Maurice Gendreau, a Kennebunk resident and St. Martha’s parishioner who represented St. Martha’s at the site plan review during July and October meetings, told the town Dunroven Drive is a public way and not just for the four families that live there.

Gendreau said the access road would benefit the whole town and it wasn’t reasonable to have a hazard continue just because it would inconvenience a few families, according to minutes of the July 2 review.

“When the church lets out or comes on, people are not going to be able to get out of their driveway,” Peach-Lambert said.

She acknowledged the church does a number of good things for the community, including blood drives and a food pantry, but said the change will mean almost constant church-related traffic on the cul-de-sac.

This is not the first time St. Martha’s Church has sought access to the Dunroven cul-de-sac.

In 2003, the church asked for town approval to expand its parking lot and add the access road to the cul-de-sac. The expansion was approved, but the access road was set aside.

The land that would be used to build the access road onto the cul-de-sac is owned by St. Martha’s and the town.

Last July, the church returned to the review board board for a public hearing to reopen the project. Peach-Lambert said more than 160 people showed up and “the majority of them were against it.” Both the police chief and fire chief supported the access road.

After supporters and opponents spoke, the site plan review board tabled the issue until St. Martha’s could provide an updated traffic study and impact of a new traffic light, along with other information.

The board also wanted to know whether two businesses next to St. Martha’s would allow church traffic to cross through their parking lots.

Many Dunroven Drive abutters believe directing traffic to parking lots that lead to a traffic light on Route 1 would protect the safety of both church-goers and the neighborhood.

CVS and Kennebunk Savings Bank both denied the request. Kennebunk’s director in charge of the planning department, Caroline Segalla, said Kennebunk Savings Bank would not agree to the plan because it would remove some parking spaces. Town Manger Barry Tibbetts said it is optional for businesses to allow traffic to cross their property.

Peach-Lambert said abutters were told during the hearing they would receive notice before the next meeting and that another public hearing would be held.

In October, Saint Martha’s returned to the board with an updated traffic study, but abutters were not present.

Upon review, the board said St. Martha’s plan for the access road had not changed enough to warrant a second public hearing, and the access road was approved without further notice to abutters.

The board decided St. Martha’s should combine its two front entrances to add the access road to the Dunroven cul-de-sac.

“Our biggest bone of contention is how were abutters going to find out about the next meeting,” Peach-Lambert said.

Abutters appealed the decision and on Jan. 19, the Kennebunk Zoning Board of Appeals upheld the original site plan review board decision to allow the access road.

Segalla said abutters have until March 5 to appeal to Superior Court, but she has not received any word whether the group will pursue an appeal.

Staff Writer Suzanne Hodgson can be reached at 282-4337, ext. 233.