By Dawn De Busk

Staff Writer 

NAPLES — A lot of fuss is being made over a cup of coffee to go.

The plans for an Aroma Joe’s located in the far end of the Lakes Plaza were approved a year ago. Then, it took almost a year for the Maine Department of Transportation (MDOT) to determine that a turning lane on Route 302 was required before the first cup of joe could be served. That turning lane will run from the residential property slightly before Lake Plaza entrance to the Dunkin’ Donuts turning lane a few hundred feet down the road. 

MDOT “looks at these coffee shops as high traffic producers. The worse case scenario is 100 trips during peak hours. They look at Dunkin’ Donuts and now Aroma Joe’s as high traffic producers,” according to Kevin Gagnon, who owns the Lakes Plaza building. 

“It was a very lengthy process. Once we finished with the Naples Planning Board, we went to the MDOT. We had a scoping meeting earlier in the year. We got our Traffic Moving Permit (TMP) but all the construction documents had to be approved. Route 302 had to be surveyed. They do that from aerial shots,” Gagnon said.

The stakeholders involved in the new Aroma Joe’s store had to wait for decisions to be made. Meanwhile, in September when the road-widening started, drivers were held up as one lane was closed for road work. 

Currently, Route 302 has been widened and paved to accommodate the turning lane.

“The paving is all done,” Gagnon said. 

During the week of Fryeburg Fair, which is happening now, there is a state mandate that construction on all major roads stops, Gagnon said.

Therefore, on Tuesday, the road constructioncrew will resume the work — painting the lines and the turning arrows. 

“The road itself was widened to permit the turning lane. It’ll be done by striping,” Gagnon said. 

The Aroma Joe’s company hired Great Falls Construction, Inc., based in Gorham, as the general contractor and retained RJ Grondin & Sons for the off-site and on-site earthwork, he said. 

Gagnon expressed his thankfulness to employees with the Town of Naples. 

“Town Manager John Hawley has been very supportive and very helpful, very pro-business through this whole thing. Code Enforcement Officer Kate Matthews has also been helpful and supportive,” he said.

It is anticipated that Aroma Joe’s will have a grand opening in November, he said.

At this point in time, Lakes Plaza has five tenants including up and coming Aroma Joe’s, he said. 

“Your mix of tenants is what makes or breaks a project,” Gagnon said. “We really try to put the right businesses in so they complement one another. Like any of our projects, the type of business has to go well with the other tenants because businesses feed off each other.”

Gagnon has been approached by a consignment shop, an axe-throwing business and a medical marijuana company, but he didn’t feel those were a suitable fit for the plaza.   

“Fortunately, I was able to hold out until I got the right tenants,” he said.