July 23, 2019 by Carol Britton Meyer
The proposal for a Dunkin’ Donuts at 315 Lincoln St. in front of the new Avalon II apartments on Rte. 3A has been fine-tuned to include a new “industrial”-style design with a flat roof to better fit the Hingham Shipyard site and historical graphics on the building reflective of the former use, in keeping with other businesses along that stretch.
“They will be simple designs that deliver the message,” said Jeffery Tocchio, attorney for the developer -- Panek Donuts LLC -- at last night's joint planning board/zoning board of appeals hearing.
The footprint will be the same but with larger windows. The plan also features a pedestrian connection to Dunkin’ Donuts for Avalon residents — if the necessary approvals are granted — and a flag pole at the front of the building by the walkway similar to others that have been installed along the Rte. 3A corridor. There will be no drive-through in keeping with town regulations.
The one-story 2,070-square-foot restaurant would have 14 inside seats and 10 on an outdoor patio and 24 parking spaces. The landscaping would be done by River Hawk, the same company that did the Avalon landscaping, to provide a consistent streetscape.
No left turns would be allowed into or out of the site -- "right in, right out [only]," traffic engineer Jeffrey Dirk said. About 200 vehicles would enter and exit during peak morning hours.
To ensure the plan works, there would be a look-back after 30 days at the request of some board members -- to “catch any issues quickly,” Dirk said, and another after six months for a longer-term view of parking demands, traffic circulation, any back-ups onto Rte. 3A, any motor vehicle accidents, and whether customers are abiding by the right-turn-only signs. Any issues will be addressed and corrective actions taken.
The hours would be 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week, with deliveries of fresh donuts and other items every morning at 4 a.m. The hearing was continued to Aug. 5.