KFC drive-thru hearing stalls
for traffic study
By Ed Baker
Thu Dec 06, 2007, 04:58 PM EST
Plans by Kentucky Fried Chicken to serve hot tacos and fried chicken at a
proposed eatery on Winter Street are on hold until a site plan for the
restaurant and traffic review pass muster with the board of zoning appeals.
KFC planned to pitch a proposal to build a 3,000 square foot structure and
a drive-thru service window to board of zoning appeals on Wednesday, Dec. 5,
but the planning department will seek to have the hearing continued to Jan. 23
at 7 p.m.
“The reason we are doing that is because we need to do a peer review done
on a traffic study,” said Roderick M. Fuqua,
He said an independent traffic review must be done to avoid violating the
state’s conflict of interest laws.
“Our town engineer, (Georgy Bezkorovainy) had done some traffic studies at
the site for a private company before he began working for the town,” said
Fuqua. “Under the state’s conflict of interest law, he can’t do the review for
the town. We have reviewed the matter with town solicitor
He said the planning department decided it was best to continue the hearing
until next month when traffic data will be available from the consultant.
“Since we don’t have a consultant on board at this time, we thought it
would be best to have them available when we take testimony on the
proposal,” said Fuqua. “The hearing will open on Wednesday night, but a motion
to continue it to Jan. 23 will be made.”
He said the consultants will not include data previously gathered by
Bezkorovainy to avoid violating the conflict of interest law.
“KFC will have their own traffic consultant as well at the hearing,” said
Fuqua.
The expense for the consultant to
KFC plans to construct an eatery to seat 54 patrons in a business 1
district. The site has an unoccupied single-family home. KFC plans to demolish
the structure and replace it with a restaurant and a parking lot for 36 cars.
Nearby businesses include Dunkin Donuts on the opposite side of Winter
Street and Dairy Queen.
KFC’s proposal includes a drive-thru for patrons. A document describing the
service window states this convenience is consistent with a drive-thru at
Dunkin Donuts and McDonald’s on Route 18.
District 4 Councilor Art Mathews said he is concerned about increased
traffic congestion at the intersection of Winter Street and
“The impact of this proposed project would certainly create more of a
difficult situation that already exists at
On Jan. 23, Mathew said he intends to propose having KFC pay the cost of
installing a traffic light at the corner of Winter and Middle Streets.
“At the very least the proponent should pay for a traffic signal,” said
Mathews. “In my opinion, over 50 percent of a fast food business is done at a
drive-thru window.”
The application additionally includes a request for a variance to a sign
ordinance that limits freestanding placards to 34 square feet and wall posters
to 35 square feet. KFC cites the location’s sloping surface for seeking an
exemption to the ordinance.
KFC wants to have a wall sign that is 126.6 square feet. The advertisement
will rise 1.5 feet above the restaurant’s roofline and the eatery is proposing
to have freestanding signs of 89.9 square feet on the premises to offset the
slanting topography.
KFC’s proposal will require a review by the conservation commission because
the proposed structure is in a watershed protection district and groundwater
protection zone.
Proposed KFC / Taco
Bell location at 39 and 45 Winter Street