OBSERVER Photo by Braden Carmen Pictured is the progress of the construction of a new Chipotle restaurant in the Vineyard Drive plaza. The Mexican fast-food restaurant will be located in the parking lot of the plaza that includes Harbor Freight, DaVita, and Five Below.

Site work has begun at the future home of Chipotle in the town of Dunkirk, and with the weather beginning to improve, it could start moving forward rather quickly.

Framing of the building could be completed within the next week or so, with interior work to follow shortly afterward. The footing has already been inspected by Code Enforcement Officer Ryan Mourer, and next up is an inspection on drainage of the site.

Chipotle was unanimously approved by the Planning Board last August and originally planned to start construction shortly after it was issued a building permit, but the plans were delayed due to the weather.

The newly constructed 2,325 square foot building will be located in the Vineyard Drive plaza that includes Harbor Freight, DaVita, and Five Below. The building will feature a patio for outdoor dining, as well as indoor seating for dine-in customers. There will also be a “Chipotlane” for customers to pick up orders submitted online. The Chipotlane and pick-up window do not allow for drive-through orders.

Chipotle is being built at the front end of the parking lot to the plaza, close to Dunkin’ Donuts and Tim Hortons. The parking lot of the plaza will be reconfigured around the space where Chipotle will be built, with new striping to define the driving lanes and parking spots, rather than repaving the area. Both access points to the plaza near the site will remain operational, with access at the traffic light encouraged.

Two additional building permits were issued in the town of Dunkirk in March – a duplex remodeling and a roof replacement.

The impending closure of the Route 5 bridge over Canadaway Creek will likely begin sometime in May. The bridge will be fully replaced by the New York State Department of Transportation.

In the month of March, the Town Justice Court handled a total of 311 cases, including 263 vehicle and traffic law cases and 19 penal law cases, for a total of $27,358 collected for the Town. The Town Clerk’s Office collected $4,123.90 in March, including more than $3,400 in zoning fees.

The East Town of Dunkirk Fire Department responded to 28 calls in March, while the West Town of Dunkirk Fire Department responded to 26 calls in March.

The Town Board approved a contract with Eden Veterinary Clinic for mandated dog control related services, subject to approval by Town Attorney Jeff Passafaro. A donation of $1,000 to the city of Dunkirk to support the annual July 4 fireworks display was also approved by the Town Board.

The Town Board has scheduled another workshop for Tuesday, May 12 at 5:30 p.m. to finalize the draft of a local law pertaining to Battery Energy Storage Systems in the town. The next meeting of the Dunkirk Town Board will be Tuesday, May 19 at 5:30 p.m. at the Town Hall.