|
Town to set brakes on drive-thru code
The "battle of doughnuts" may be curbed next month. A rash of franchise requests from competing doughnut chains and fears of traffic tie-ups related to the locations has prompted the town board to consider a moratorium on drive-through businesses.
Dunkin Donuts and Tim Hortons are aggressively expanding in the Buffalo area, and Cheektowaga appears to be a prime target for both chains.
Last November, then-supervisor James J. Jankowiak said franchise location requests from Dunkin Donuts and Tim Hortons was "a battle of doughnuts for control of William Street." Both franchises seek drive through service for their selected sites.
However, fears of traffic backing up at both William Street locations- at Union Road for Tim Hortons, and at Raymond Avenue for Dunkin Donuts- has the board taking a closer look at its zoning code.
The board may impose a 90-day moratorium on permits and approvals for drive-through windows while it reviews the zoning code.
Supervisor Mary F. Holtz explained that the portion of the zoning code that regulates drive-through businesses was established in the 1970s and may require an update.
"It was geared toward drivethrough banks, not coffee shops, not this situation," Holtz said.
Up to 45,000 vehicles use the William-Union intersection every day, and traffic tie-ups during commuter hours are common. Town board members and residents are concerned that drivers using a drivethrough at the proposed Tim Hortons kiosk in an Express Mart will queue along Union Road.
The Planning Board approved the Tim Hortons site at its January 10 meeting, but reserved the right to revoke permission if traffic backs up along Union.
Joe and Justine Przemielewski, who reside on Raymond Avenue, don't believe a drive-through should be located at the William-Raymond intersection, located just a few hundred feet from a New York State Thruway interchange.
"You can't get off our street with the traffic," Justine said. Joe added, "when they plow the snow, you can't see cars coming."
They also noted that there is a family with young children living in a home directly behind the site and expressed concern that fumes from idling engines could affect the health of the children.
Justine Przemielewski said her suggestion to locate the restaurant in the nearby Park Lane Plaza at last week's conservation Advisory Committee meeting "went over the heads" of Dunkin Donuts representatives.
Councilmember Jim Rogowski agreed that the plaza would be a better location for the doughnut shop.
"I have been working to get a meeting with Dunkin Donuts to see if they can put the shop in the plaza," Rogowski said, "but I haven't received a phone call back from them."
The town board on Tuesday voted to schedule a public hearing on the potential moratorium during its Feb- ruary 4 meeting at 7 p.m. in Town Hall.
In other business matters Tuesday, the board:
• Amended a January 7 resolution that reappointed four persons to the traffic safety commission through December 31, 2009. The members were reappointed through December 31, 2010 in the amended version.
• Authorized a contract with Eagle Systems Inc. of Harlem Road to provide 18 Toshiba copying machines through the New York State Office of General Services at a cost not to exceed $156,928.
• Authorized a contract permitting the Hy-View Fire District to purchase fuel from the town for its fire trucks.
• Continued a nutrition program for the elderly at six locations for 2008. The locations are the Cheektowaga Senior Center, Southwind Landing Senior Apartments, Bell Tower Senior Apartments, Maryvale East Apartments, Cayuga Village Apartments Community Center and Infant of Prague Parish.
• Authorized a transportation contract providing van service for the elderly with Erie County.
• Appointed Kelly Robinson to the Cheektowaga Veterans Affairs Committee through December 31.
• Appointed Timothy M. White to a provisional position of Youth Program leader in the Youth and Recreational Services Department.
• Appointed John E. Rogowski to the position of Senior Maintenance Worker in the Facilities Department.
• Authorized Gregory Tierney, Nicole Scherrer and Tyler Welsh, all members of either the Supervisor's Youth Council or Cheektowaga Youth Board, to attend the Association of New York State Youth Bureaus 2008 Youth Leadership Forum in Albany on February 11-12.
| 
