1220 Brighton Avenue rezoning for drive-through restaurant
Portland
Summary
The former Exxon station parcel near Exit 48 sits vacant because old fuel-spill cleanup restrictions bar residential, school, or childcare uses, and the new TOD-2 zoning blocks a drive-through restaurant. Rezoning to Commercial Corridor (B-4) could unlock a Panera Bread and generate tax revenue on otherwise undevelopable land.
At a glance
- Total mentions
- 2
- Last 30 days
- 0
Last discussed May 26, 2026.
Impact analysis
Developing the vacant parcel would add tax revenue to the city; no dollar figures were provided.
Commuters near Exit 48 and the property owner looking to finally put the land to use.
Neighbors who prefer the parcel stay reserved for transit-oriented development could see more traffic and drive-through activity instead.
Mentions & discussions (2)
Planning Board - May 26, 2026
A vacant lot near the Maine Turnpike's Exit 48 could shift from transit-oriented zoning to commercial corridor zoning to make room for a drive-through restaurant. The corridor is already auto-oriented with hotels and dealerships nearby, and Westbrook's Rock Row development sits just across the border. The question is whether this parcel should stay reserved for transit-friendly growth or join the commercial strip pattern.
Planning Board - Apr 14, 2026
The former Exxon station parcel near Exit 48 sits vacant because old fuel-spill cleanup restrictions bar residential, school, or childcare uses, and the new TOD-2 zoning blocks a drive-through restaurant. Rezoning to Commercial Corridor (B-4) could unlock a Panera Bread and generate tax revenue on otherwise undevelopable land.
Related development
Amendment to Portland Zoning Map RE: B-4 Zone, 1220 Brighton Avenue and Adjacent Parcels
Would change permitted uses along the Brighton Avenue corridor.
1220 Brighton Avenue Rezoning
Could convert a long-vacant contaminated parcel into a commercial restaurant with drive-through, ending chances of dense mixed-use development at this gateway site near I-95.
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