It wasn’t standing room only at the Planning Board meeting when CVS developers unveiled plans for a store on Route 6, but finding an open seat wasn’t easy.

With anywhere between 50 to 100 or more people expected to attend the board’s next meeting regarding CVS, members voted to hold their Oct. 6 meeting in the Marion Music Hall.

“There was a strong interest when we had that initial information session with CVS,” said member Eileen Marum. “I would imagine there will be four to five times that amount of people at the next meeting.”

The initial plans called for construction of a 14,600-square foot building with a drive-thru at the corner of the intersection of Route 6 and Front Street. The spot is located across the street from Cumberland Farms.

Since then, developers have said they would present a scaled-down version of the original plans.

Chair Stephen Kokkins noted that the meeting is not a public hearing. The board will be focused on listening to the developers.

“The primary purpose of the meeting is an information exchange between the applicant and the Planning Board to decide what direction is best for Marion,” Kokkins said. “I don’t think the public’s contributions should outweigh everything else.”

Though the Planning Board conducts its business in public, the meetings are not open forums. Per state law, no one can address the board without first being recognized by the chair.

“The difference between this and a public hearing is that at a hearing we’re interested in the community’s reaction to what we have worked [a proposal] into its final form,” member Robert Lane said. “This is all very preliminary.”

Lane was the only member who voted to meet in the board’s usual space at the Town House at the board’s special Sept. 15 meeting.

Kokkins suggested the Oct. 6 meeting be structured as follows: Let the developers present their plans to the Planning Board who will offer comments and then accept questions from the public.

“We want to make sure the applicant or Planning Board members or the public express themselves concisely so we can hear from as many people as possible,” Kokkins said.

The meeting will be taped by ORCTV and  broadcast later for anyone who was not able to attend.