At the most recent Planning Board meeting, the board unanimously approved a conditional recommendation of the project to the Town Board, provided that the entryway to the plaza just beyond the traffic light on Vineyard Drive becomes a one-way entrance.

The last time the Dunkirk Planning Board met to discuss a potential Starbucks location coming to the Town of Dunkirk, major concerns with the design of the drive-thru lane temporarily paused the process. Now, most of the initial concerns have been addressed, leaving only the entry to the plaza from Vineyard Drive prior to the traffic light left to be addressed.

“My recommendation to the Board is to eliminate this as a two-way,” Code Enforcement Officer Ryan Mourer said, referring to the entrance to the plaza prior to the traffic light on Vineyard Drive. “To me it’s pretty important. … I just don’t like that at all.”

David Zuppelli, Civil Engineer for Benderson Development, presented the updated proposal to the Planning Board after initial concerns were raised at the last meeting.

Ryan Mourer, Code Enforcement Officer for the Town of Dunkirk, shared his concerns with the drive-thru lane design for a proposed Starbucks location on Vineyard Drive.

Concerns of multiple entries to the drive-thru lane were somewhat addressed, but the entry from Vineyard Drive still got the attention of every member of the Planning Board in attendance.

“I have argued it with our principals. They weren’t 100% for it, but I will argue it again. It’s obviously a town concern — a major one,” Zuppelli said.

“I’m not sure why his principals are sticking with it needs to be two-way, but to me, it’s such a minor change,” Planning Board Chairperson Shari Miller responded. “I know how hard it is to get a Starbucks franchise. I cannot imagine what they had to do to get Starbucks to consider coming to Dunkirk.”

Miller, along with members Robert Price, Jordan Cooper, Paul Bowers, and alternate member Benjamin Gloss all voted to approve the plans, contingent upon the conditions they set forth.

“We’re just going to rip the bandaid off. This is our recommendation to the Town Board,” Miller said.

Now, at its next meeting, the Town Board can schedule a public hearing on the proposed Starbucks location. After the public hearing – likely to be set for sometime in mid-July — the Town Board can accept or deny its application to the town.

“It’s ultimately the responsibility of the Town Board to make a decision what to do,” Miller said.

The proposed Starbucks location would be taking the place of the AT&T location in the plaza located on Vineyard Drive. The current AT&T location is set to move from one end of three adjoining buildings in the plaza to the other, replacing the current GameStop location. The Little Caesars store would remain in its current spot between the two businesses.

Zuppelli will discuss a plan to change the entrance to the plaza to a one-way entrance with Benderson Development. If Benderson Development sticks to its resistance for the one-way entrance, the Town Board will need to make a decision on the current plans.

Zuppelli believed the updated plan addressed the Planning Board’s initial concerns. “The more we studied it, the more it doesn’t really aid this drive-thru. Instead, we angled the entrance (to the drive-through) in, so it makes it implausible to enter that way,” he said. “… No matter how we (design) it, people are going to conflict this. We try to minimize it as much as possible.”

Miller responded to Zuppelli’s belief that drivers will become accustomed to the changes.

“I do hope you’re right. I feel like the first month … it’s going to be a disaster,” said Miller.

Zuppelli conducted a “stacking plan” to assess the concerns the Planning Board shared about the drive-thru line spilling out onto Vineyard Drive. In the proposed plans, 13 cars can stack in the drive-thru lane, with room for 12 additional cars to stack behind the lane before the entrance to the plaza is obstructed.

Zuppelli called the 25-vehicle stack capability “more than sufficient.” In studying five other Starbucks locations in western New York, “none of them saw more than about a 13-car stack as the maximum during operational hours,” according to Zuppelli. “We have more than enough space where it won’t impact the local street,” he said.

Another concern the Planning Board had was of semi-trucks exiting the plaza by driving through pedestrian crossings if the exit lane was changed to a one-way entrance. Zuppelli found that the only delivery truck that would need to cross in front of the stores in the plaza would be PetSmart, due to the location of its loading dock. PetSmart has one delivery per week, on Mondays at 9 a.m. The remaining delivery trucks would not be impacted.

The goal of the Planning Board with the one-way entrance is to encourage traffic to enter the plaza at the traffic light. The pushback related to the one-way design was described as a pushback from Benderson Development, rather than from Starbucks itself. Benderson Development does not want Starbucks traffic to lead to congestion in the rest of the plaza.

Regarding the one-way entrance, Town Supervisor Juan Pagan stated, “I would rather have that option first than have to make another decision. … Our (intent) is to agree and welcome businesses, but not at the detriment of the general public. We don’t want to put anybody in danger just so they can buy a cup of coffee.”

Mourer shared the same stance as Pagan. “I’m all for Starbucks. I just want it to be safe,” he said.