Liverpool — If Liverpool residents are concerned about the possibility of Dunkin’ Donuts building a new restaurant in the village, they should mark their calendars for Monday, Feb. 29.
A public hearing will be conducted at 7 p.m. on that date by the board of trustees. The village board is considering a modification of the village code, Chapter 380-41, to issue special permits to allow restaurants to provide drive-thru services.
Right now, the code prohibits restaurant drive-thrus in the village, but architect Robert Abbot Jr., told trustees on Jan. 19 that without permission for a drive-thru, the franchisee would decline to move forward with the project.
“Dunkin’ Donuts typically does between 50 and 60 percent of their business at the drive-thru window,” Abbott said. He represents ESW Realty, LLC, which has a purchase option on the property at 105-113 Second St., the former locations of Seneca Savings Bank and Venesky Appliances.
Police stats for December
Liverpool Police Chief Don Morris informed the village board via memo at its Jan. 19 meeting that officers issued 127 citations for violations of the state’s vehicle and traffic laws in December 2015, after making a total of 176 traffic stops. Fourteen traffic accidents were investigated last month, and 23 parking tickets were issued.
The annual wintertime ban on overnight parking in the village runs through April 15. On residential streets, parking is prohibited from midnight to 8 a.m., and in the village business district parking is prohibited from 2 to 8 a.m.
Officers conducted 196 residential checks during December and responded to a total of 176 complaints and calls for service.
The LPD arrested 21 individuals last month.
ESW Realty is the real-estate component of The Wolak Group formed by New England donut entrepreneur Ed Wolak.
Since 1998, the Wolak Group, based in Portland, Maine, expanded its activities to Central New York. The Wolak Group and its affiliates now own more than 70 Dunkin’ Donuts restaurants in Maine, New Hampshire and New York, as well as a 21,000-square-foot automated central production facility in Syracuse. That facility produces and delivers baked goods daily to its regional restaurants.
continued — Abbott appeared before the village planning board Dec. 28. On Jan. 19, he said that the Wolak Group is willing to “comply with whatever the planning board wants us to do.”
Planning Board Chairman Joe Ostuni Jr. had explained to Abbott that the franchisee would need to secure a special permit from the village board in order to utilize a drive-thru window.
At the Nov. 19 village board meeting, Trustee Dennis Hebert pointed out that traffic was already a problem when Seneca Savings was there. “It was terrible trying to get out of that parking lot and back out onto Second Street,” Hebert said. Last August, Seneca Savings moved to a new location on Route 57 in Clay.
Liverpool resident Raymond Finney attended the Dec. 28 planning board meeting, and posted a message on the village Facebook page opposing the Dunkin’ Donuts plan, citing the potential for increased traffic congestion.
