Work on Dunkin’ drive-thru without permit approval irks two Planning Board members

SOUTHWICK — While Planning Board chair Jessica Thornton was pleased the Dunkin’ drive-thru lane at 397 College Highway was being reconfigured, she professed to being “shocked” the work had started before the Planning Board had signed off the business’ request for a minor site plan modification.

“Let me just say for the record that I was really shocked that it was Filipe [Cravo] with R. Leveque Associates coming before me for a site plan modification with the notice that the work was going to begin on Facebook a week and a half ago and the dirt is already dug up,” Thornton said during the board’s meeting Tuesday night.

“I saw that on the way here … it’s not us,” Cravo said with a nervous chuckle, which Thornton responded to with just a hint of sarcasm.

“What the heck is going on. You’re not responsible? Then pass the message on,” she said, which prompted board member Diane Juzba to chime in.

“I have to echo that. I was a little upset to see that we are just now seeing these plans and it’s already begun,” she said.

But Thornton wasn’t finished.

“So, not only do we have site plan work happening just on its own, but also I would assume that all the light pole work is going to be done simultaneously, even though the special permitting hearing for that isn’t opening until the 21st,” Thornton added, referring to Oct. 21.

J&N Salema LP, the company that owns and operates the franchise, wasn’t just seeking the board’s blessing for the drive-thru modification, but also to modify its outdoor lighting plan for which a public hearing is required.

“It would be fun to have a public hearing on a light pole that’s already up and in use,” Thornton said, which led to board member Marcus Phelps add his take on the situation.

“They might not have turned it on yet,” he said.

Later on Juzba asked if the work would be stopped until the permits were approved.

Thornton said, “after a discussion at Town Hall there is no mechanism to do that at this time, unfortunately.”

That exchange occurred after Cravo went over the changes to Dunkin’s parking lot.

The drive-thru window won’t be moved, but the access to it on the north of the building will be blocked by a landscaped berm where the menu board will be installed.

This will remove what was one of two drive-thru access points down to one, which will be first entrance if driving south on College Highway adjacent to the parking lot for the Image Printhouse and the second entrance if travelling north.

Thornton said the reconfiguration was needed.

“The double entrance into the drive-thru was just asking for it when it was first put in,” she said.

There will also be landscaping — shrubs not trees — added between the entrance and exit, Cravo said.

Board member David Spina recommended with the entrance to the parking lot changing and installing the sign at eye level to alert customers, which was recommended by Phelps.

“Will there be signage added to make sure everybody realizes that the way you get into the drive-thru is now that first entrance or the what is that the northern-most entrance” said point to the site plan map.

“We can certainly add that to the plan. It would be nice to make it clear that is the drive-thru entrance,” Cravo said.

As the discussion wound down, Thornton asked Town Planner Alvin Allen if he had any thoughts on the permit application.

“The traffic flows make it more pedestrian-friendly” so people won’t be walking through the drive-thru lanes, he said

The site plan modification with the added signage was approved 4-1 by the board with Juzba voting no.

Read the original article on MassLive . Add MassLive as a Preferred Source by clicking here .