Dunkin’ Donuts gets planning commission OK, goes to VBT board

If the Van Buren Township Board of Trustees approves special land use in a C-2 zoning district at the northeast corner of Belleville Road and the I-94 North Service Drive, Dunkin’ Donuts could be up and running by summer.
At its March 25 meeting, the VBT Planning Commission sent to the township board a recommendation for approval of special land use for a drive-through restaurant where the car wash and Quizno’s are at the BP gas station / convenience store.
The commission also approved the preliminary site plan for the project, which reduces the number of parking spaces required by four, including two RV spaces.
Owner Chris Sadek sent a letter to the planners explaining the parking situation. He said in the past ten years he has never seen an RV park anywhere other than at one of his 12 gas pumps while going to BP or Quiznos. He said RVs coming off the freeway are more apt to stop for gas at Marathon or Meijer gas because they can turn right.
He also said over 70% of Dunkin’ Donuts business is expected to be drive through, while the majority of the balance will be fueling their vehicles while going in to use Dunkin’ Donuts.
He said the busiest part of the day for Dunkin’ Donuts is from 5 to 10 a.m., which is the slowest for the convenience store at the site. There are eight seats inside Dunkin’ Donuts and eight parking spaces right in front. There are 26 parking spaces totally approved at the site.
The drive up window was moved to a different location in the building than first planned to avoid problems with Arby’s next door.
Sadek told the Independent that if all goes well with the township board, they would start construction in May or June and it wouldn’t take long to remove the car wash and update the rest of the building. He expected Dunkin’ Donuts to be serving donuts at the site by this summer.
In other business at the 37-minute meeting, the commission:
• Held a public hearing, where no one from the public spoke, on a proposed zoning amendment to allow outdoor dining. It will be on the next agenda for a decision and then sent on to the township board for the final decision. Developers of the new restaurant building planned for the old Big Boy site want to have outdoor dining there;
• Approved temporary land use for Phantom Fireworks of Michigan for more than the seven days allowed. Phantom will put up a tent at the Lakewood Shopping Plaza at 2095 Rawsonville Road from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. for 11 days, June 25 to July 5; and
• Removed from the agenda a request by USA Fireworks, who asked instead to be placed on the April 22 planning commission agenda. USA is requesting permission to put up a tent for more than the seven days allowed at the site it had last year in the Belleville Square Shopping Center, 10864 Belleville Road. The request is to sell fireworks from June 16 through July 7.