FILE- This Jan. 22, 2018 file photo shows the Dunkin' Donuts logo on a shop in Mount Lebanon, Pa. The Dunkin’ coffee chain says customers will have to do without a “double cup” for their iced drinks.A new campaign focused in Massachusetts and Rhode Island tells customers they can no longer nest their iced drinks in a second, foam cup for extra insulation as the company moves to eliminate its polystyrene cups. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)
FILE- This Jan. 22, 2018 file photo shows the Dunkin' Donuts logo on a shop in Mount Lebanon, Pa. The Dunkin’ coffee chain says customers will have to do without a “double cup” for their iced drinks.A new campaign focused in Massachusetts and Rhode Island tells customers they can no longer nest their iced drinks in a second, foam cup for extra insulation as the company moves to eliminate its polystyrene cups. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File) Credit: AP

The Peterborough Dunkin will remain without a drive through window after applicants withdrew their request during a public hearing with the Zoning Board on Oct. 5.

A fast food drive through window 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 Dunkin on 100 Grove Street, which was a bank prior to its purchase in 2016 by Peterborough resident Adam Quinn’s family business, DJAM, LLC.

The Peterborough’s Zoning Board of Adjustment first heard the proposal at their Aug. 3 meeting after a number of patrons expressed interest in a drive through, and they heard public comment on the proposal at a Sept. 7 meeting.

All five ZBA members said the proposal would be contrary to the public interest at the continuation of the hearing on Oct. 5.. Board member Peggy Leedberg cited the town’s two previous votes, in 1998 and 2005, in favor of restricting drive through windows for anything other than banking or pharmacies, according to meeting minutes. “In my purview, the issue of allowing a food service drive through window is significantly different than that of, say, a garage, where it may affect a few abutters,” member Don Selby said, and that just one or two drive through services in town could defeat the purpose of the town’s ordinance, according to meeting minutes. Chair Sharon Monahan additionally cited the public concerns she’d heard about a drive through window increasing traffic congestion, while a stated purpose of zoning ordinance is to lessen congestion, according to meeting minutes.

This meant the project failed to meet one of five required criteria for a variance. As the Board moved onto discussing the second criteria,  Quinn’s representative, attorney James Callahan interrupted, saying “we can see where this is going. We can save a lot of time and we are willing to withdraw our application, we are OK with that,” according to meeting minutes.

The Board accepted the withdrawal and ended the hearing just 25 minutes after it started.