COLDWATER, MI — Dunkin’ Donuts is coming to Coldwater after the Planning Commission approved on Monday, July 6, a plan to allow a drive-thru in the conversion of the former Advance Auto Parts store at 515 W. Chicago Street.
Engineer Matt Cole, representing the applicant, said Dunkin’ will likely occupy about one-third of the remodeled structure’s 6,700-plus square feet, leasing the balance for additional retail space.
The project adds a drive-thru lane on the west side and extends parking to the north. Commissioners/City Councilman Jim Knaack warned that eastbound US-12 drivers might attempt unsafe left turns into the “swooping” westbound only entrance.
Cole agreed to add a “No Left Turn” sign on Chicago Street where there is no exit from the property.He agreed to add traffic-control measures to guide vehicles safely through the site.
These include recommended directional signage and pavement markings to steer drive-through traffic toward Teeter Drive and reduce congestion near the highway.
There is an additional exit through PNC Bank onto Michigan Avenue.
A small wooded area along Teeter Drive may be thinned. The commission relaxed a proposed tree survey, instead directing that the finished site simply meet the city’s right-of-way landscaping requirements, to be verified by staff.
That back lot is part of a new above-ground stormwater basin behind PNC Bank.
Staff said the proposed plan is compatible with the C-4 General Business District, where nearby sites already host fast food, a bank, and a pharmacy with drive-thrus.
The building will receive a new exterior with the traditional Dunkin’ Donuts orange, grey, and white colors on the west end.
The area from Wright Street east to I-69 is home to most of Coldwater’s fast-food establishments.
Contact Don Reid, dReid@USATodayCo.Com
This article originally appeared on Coldwater Daily Reporter: Dunkin’ Donuts planned for Coldwater
Reporting by Don Reid, Coldwater Daily Reporter / Coldwater Daily Reporter
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By Don Reid, Coldwater Daily Reporter | USA TODAY Network
