A proposed drive-through window at the Dunkin Donuts at the intersection of Route 101 and 202 in Peterborough is at stake at the Peterborough Zoning Board of Adjustment meeting on Oct. 5.
The proposal requires a variance from the town’s zoning ordinance, which bans drive-through windows for food and beverage service, even though there are already two drive-through lanes at the building, 100 Grove Street, which was a bank prior to its purchase in 2016 by Peterborough resident Adam Quinn’s family business, DJAM, LLC.
In the years since Dunkin Donuts opened, many customers have asked Quinn about a drive-through, including senior citizens, parents with young children or people who travel with pets in the car, Attorney James Callahan said, speaking on behalf of Quinn at a public hearing on Sept. 9, which continued the discussion from an Aug. 3 meeting.
Although a drive-through window is predicted to attract about 10 percent more traffic to the site, numbers would still likely be lower than what was originally predicted for the site in 2015, Callahan said, citing an updated study submitted in July by Stephen Pernaw & Company, which shows that traffic at the restaurant is lower than what was originally anticipated. About half the town’s workforce commutes from out of town, and commuters would likely appreciate a drive-through, Callahan said, and the variance wouldn’t require any modifications to the building or roads. The COVID-19 pandemic provides another incentive for minimizing human contact during transactions, he said.
Although 225 residents signed a petition in support of a drive-through window, no members of the public spoke in favor of the proposal at the hearing. Several abutters spoke against it, citing existing levels of traffic congestion and concern that drive through lines could extend out into the street. Reading a letter he penned with five other residents, Select Board member Ed Juengst described a granting of a variance as “a momentous step” that opens the potential for more drive-through windows across town. That would reverse the intent of two town wide votes, in 1998 when voters passed a petition article banning fast food drive-throughs, and in 2005 when they extended it to all zoning districts in town, he said.
Most of the restaurant’s revenue goes to DJAM LLC, but they pay royalty fees to the corporation, Quinn said. The Board voted 3-2 to close public comment and vote on the proposal at their meeting on Oct. 5.
The Zoning Board of Adjustment can’t change town zoning ordinance, but they can vote to grant variances to individual applicants if they meet a five-point criteria, Chair Sharon Monahan said.