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The smell of spicy chicken, Cajun fries and fresh biscuits may soon be in the air, after the Dunkirk Town Board accepted the Planning Board's recommendation to move forward with plans for a new Popeyes restaurant to be built in front of the Dunkirk Multiplex on Bennett Road.
At this week's Town Board meeting, the board scheduled a public hearing immediately preceding the next Town Board meeting, set for Tuesday, May 23. The public hearing will begin at 6:15 p.m., after which the Town Board can officially approve the proposal if it deems the project to be appropriate.
Brett Steenburgh, an engineer, submitted the restaurant's proposal to the Planning Board on behalf of Liberty Restaurants, which is owned by developer Laddi Singh. He oversees numerous Popeyes, Burger King and Arby's franchises in the region.
The proposed Popeyes project would feature a double lane drive-through on the half-acre parcel just off Bennett Road. There are no setback issues or gross size issues that needed to be addressed by the Planning Board. The project is located in a Commercial C-2 district.
The Chautauqua County Planning Department said the project has "no significant countywide or inter-community impact and that the proposal would be a matter of local concern."
Planning Board Chairwoman Shari Miller stated at a recent Planning Board meeting her greatest concern with the project is traffic backing up onto Bennett Road. The engineers of the project are evaluating a potential curb cut, which would be up to the Department of Transportation to approve, if the project moves forward. Chairperson Miller stated at the meeting she would prefer no curb cut. Code Enforcement Officer Ryan Mourer told Steenburgh that not only would he need to get DOT approval to create the curb cut, but to also use the existing curb cut. The project is expected to proceed with or without a curb cut.
Other topics of note that were mentioned at a recent Planning Board meeting regarding the project include signage for the restaurant and drainage in the area. Those issues will be addressed at a later date, if the project is officially approved.