Milton planners table Dunkin site plans
The Milton Planning and Zoning Commission tabled an application for preliminary site-plan approval for Dunkin Donuts until January to allow the franchise to adjust its building design after feedback from the commission. It was also revealed at its Dec. 17 meeting that Dairy Queen is planning to come to town.
Dunkin is proposing a 2,860-square-foot restaurant with a drive-thru on a commercial lot in front of the Cypress Grove development on Route 16. The lot where the Dunkin plans to build was partitioned by town council in November. Dunkin would have 38 parking spaces and would be accessed from Route 16, with motorists turning onto Grove Circle, which services the interior lots of the development.
The Cypress Grove parcel was annexed into Milton in December 2020. Plans for the 26-acre parcel called for 21 acres of 240 residential units, in an R-2 residential zoning district, and 5 acres of commercial space fronting Route 16. The commercial space has been divided up into four lots, with the western parcels to comprise Dunkin and Dairy Queen, which will be presenting plans in January, Project Manager Tom Quass said. The eastern parcel is planned for a dentist's office and a future commercial business.
At the commission’s Dec. 17 meeting, Brock Parker, engineer for Dunkin, said the landscaping plans for the parcel were identical to the plans for the dental office of Dr. Paul Brown that were approved in October 2023. At the commission’s request, Parker said he would adjust plans to increase the width of the sidewalk in front of the parcel from the 4.5 feet shown on the plans to 5 feet.
Chair Richard Trask said he would like to see the look of the Dunkin franchise be similar to that of the newly opened McDonald’s at the intersection of Route 16 and Union Street Extended, allowing Dunkin to fit in better with the style of commercial buildings in Milton. Trask and other commissioners bemoaned the fact that the four commercial parcels in front of Cypress Grove are separate and would not have a uniform look.
The commission also asked Parker to revise the landscaping plan so trees and shrubs around the site are better defined in the site plan. Finally, the commission asked for additional detail on the primary sign.
No one from the public had comments, so the commission closed the public hearing portion of the review and tabled the application to allow Parker to make changes in time for the commission’s Tuesday, Jan. 21 meeting.
