Residents, not profits, matter in Dunkin’ Donuts fight

Posted 5/22/17

As you well know, Dunkin’ Donuts is requesting a special use permit to build and operate a free-standing restaurant with drive-thru service in the Gooding Plaza between Bank Newport and the …

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Residents, not profits, matter in Dunkin’ Donuts fight

Posted

As you well know, Dunkin’ Donuts is requesting a special use permit to build and operate a free-standing restaurant with drive-thru service in the Gooding Plaza between Bank Newport and the Defiance Fire Station in an area that’s less than 18,000 square feet. The Planning Board, the Town Planner, the Zoning Enforcement Officer and the previous Town Administration approved this proposal without considering the negative traffic implications to the town. 

Like the many Bristol residents who signed the petition that was given to the Zoning Board, we are all very concerned about the safety issues created by this proposal.

The applicant is now in front of the Zoning Board requesting the special use permit. The Zoning Board has met four times and listened to 12 hours of testimony. The public hearing segment to date has presented the following comments and/or data:

1. The applicant’s one and only traffic study was done on Thursday, Dec. 3, 2015 between 7:45 and 8:45 a.m. From this one sample, the house of cards was built with the conclusion being “will be an increase in traffic from proposed development, but the motoring public will not notice increase.” This conclusion was made in December with no seasonal study, no Colt Sate Park traffic, no summer tourist travel, etc.

2. The applicant’s reasons for the new building were: better service to customers; improve safety in the area; improve traffic patterns; slightly more profit, since stores without drive-thru service are less profitable. The first reason may be true, but the rest make no sense. How can more traffic improve safety? How are traffic patterns improved? Where is the evidence? Profit seems to be the main reason. It’s not slight but very substantial — 131 percent to 246 percent increase.

3. The Defiance Hose Company’s three-page letter to the Zoning Board dated Jan. 4, 2017, can be summarized, “With restrictions to access of members responding to calls, the safety of our citizens to whom we have sworn our protection has been seriously compromised … Sometimes the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the one.” Enough said.

4. The Police chief’s two-page letter to the RI State Traffic Commission dated Oct. 18, 2016, also is very critical — “…traffic on Hope is bumper to bumper, stop and go, from Gooding Ave. to the intersection of Poppasquash Road … Any future development in the area will have an added impact on the traffic flow. Keeping traffic free flowing without backup and congestion is necessary along this stretch of Hope St. as Hope St. is one of two main arterial roadways carrying traffic North-South through the Town of Bristol.”

5. We also showed that the number of accidents at the Fales, Hope and Gooding intersections were 56-plus for the years 2014 through 2016. The Dec. 3 study showed 31 accidents for three years — 2013 thru 2015 — and 31 accidents were considered normal. Will 51 also be considered normal? We wonder if an accident happened to one of the traffic engineers, would it be considered normal to them?

6. The minimum parcel size requirement for this proposed building is 40,000 square feet and would be denied if it were built anywhere else in town. Why not deny this request in the plaza that has an area of less than 18,000 square feet, including the entrance, and less than 9,900 square feet if you exclude the entrance driveway?

7. The applicant’s experts insist that the proposal is consistent with the town’s Comprehensive Plan, but had no specifics. At the public hearing, we showed the following contradictions:

  • 0n page 118 of the Comprehensive Plan, Hope Street is designed as State Scenic Roadway. Dunkin’ Donuts if very colorful, but is it scenic? 
  • Page 156, a Park and Lock is designated in this area.  Unofficially, in fact, people are parking there.
  • Page 190 — This section states, “If the area is to be developed, guide such development in a manner that protects significant amounts of the area as open space while allowing for a mixture of uses and densities that make for open space protection economically feasible, such as through conservation development. Maintain the residential character of the east side of Hope St.”
  • Page 156 — “Reduce and/or eliminate the curb cuts along regional street systems. Only consider new curb cuts if there’s no other way to access the property.” Gooding Plaza has four curb cuts. Maybe we should follow this section and reduce the curb cuts by one.

8. Also, at the public hearing, the new Town Administrator, the police chief, the fire chief and volunteer fire members were vary passionately on the opposition. All these individuals have nothing to gain and are only concerned with our safety, welfare and well-being.

The lease holders of Gooding Plaza after 50-plus years of a 99-year lease from the town should consider the residents of Bristol and not only the bottom line.

All Bristol residents will be impacted by traffic, which is already a major issue. Please join us and show everyone in Bristol that we are united and that residents do matter, and that Bristol is not for sale at any price.

The Zoning Board meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, May 31.

Ilidio Contente
21 Westwood Road

Dunkin' Donuts, Gooding Plaza

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