HomeMy WebLinkAbout2013-02-05 Planning Board Supplemental Materials (45)
January 25, 2013
Ms. Judy Tymon, Planner
North Andover Planning Board
1600 Osgood Street – Bldg. 20 Suite 2-36
North Andover, MA 01845
Re: Transportation Peer Review Comments…Response
Letter #3
Proposed Dunkin’ Donuts Development
1018 Osgood Street – North Andover, MA
MHF # 306412
Dear Ms. Tymon:
Please find enclosed a revised
set of plans for the above referenced project. The plans have been revised to reflect the comments from Hancock Associates in correspondence dated January 15, 2013 as well as comments
from MDM Transportation Consultants, Inc. (MDM) in correspondence dated January 15, 2013 and January 24, 2013 and received in this office on January16, 2013 and January 25, 2013 from
your office via email. Based on the MDM comments dated January 15, 2013, we offer the following:
COLLISION HISTORY
Due to the close proximity of the entrance driveway to 1060 Osgood
Street, MDM recommends that the Applicant modify the grading to the east of the proposed entrance driveway (within the State Highway layout) in order to improve sight distance for vehicles
exiting from 1060 Osgood Street.
MHF Comment: The grading in the area directly to the west of the site driveway for 1060 Osgood Street has been revised according to the sketch provided
by MDM.
SITE ACCESS/PEDESTRAIN ACCESS
MHF Response: A proposed 4 foot wide bituminous sidewalk has been provided to the adjacent property to the east but up to the property line.
It will be the responsibility of the adjacent property owner to build the remaining sidewalk to the parking lot. This was discussed and agreed to with the North Andover Planning
Board.
TRUCK CIRCULATION
The Town Planner has requested comments from the Fire Department relative to this issue.
Based on the comments from MDM’s correspondence dated January 24, 2013 we
offer the following:
With respect to the drive thru queuing, MDM has chosen to apply the queuing analysis that has resulted in the most amounts of vehicles in a queue (13 vehicles).
As stated in the Response to Comment letter prepared by Greeman Peterson, Inc. (GPI) dated January 15, 2013 the Traffic Impact and Access Study (TIAS) prepared for the project provided
data for a 13 vehicle queue. These data were documented by the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) and were based on observations conducted at 12 Starbucks coffee shops as well
as 6 coffee shop locations. Starbucks has a different and more extensive product line than found at a Dunkin Donuts, therefore the process times are typically much longer resulting in
longer drive thru queues. In MDM’s Drive Thru Vehicle Queuing comment within their November 9, 2012 letter, MDM states that “Based on past experience, MDM finds that drive-thru operations
for Dunkin Donuts locations are unique relative to other fast food restaurants with drive thru windows”. Based on this comment we specifically provided an alternate queuing analysis
which was conducted based on service times for Dunkin Donuts facilities and indicated a 95th percentile queue of 10 vehicles.
As stated in MDM,s January 4, 2013 letter “….we recommend
that the applicant collect trip generation and vehicle queuing data from the existing facility (982 Osgood Street) as we believe that this is the best data available for estimating peak
hour operations at the proposed store. Specifically trip generation and peak hour drive thru queue lengths are critical components to their site operations with potential impact on
the accessibility to the limited supply of parking spaces proposed.” Based on this comment, we counted the existing facility located at 982 Osgood Street to collect trip-generation
data and drive thru window vehicle queues. The existing observations revealed that the Dunkin Donuts restaurant generated less vehicle trips than what were previously evaluated. In
addition, the existing drive thru lane observations showed a maximum of 11 vehicles occurring during the weekday AM peak hour, which would impact the parking minimally for a very short
period of time. The reviewer has chosen to disregard the data that was specifically requested to be collected at the nearby facility that shows fewer vehicles in the drive thru queue,
and now wants to impose the maximum queuing on the site that was originally presented in the TIAS. It is uncertain as to why the reviewer rejected the additional data that they requested
at the existing Dunkin Donuts restaurant (982 Osgood Street) that resulted in additional time and expense if this information was believed to provide the most applicable comparison to
the operations at the proposed restaurant.
We believe that the expected queuing for the drive thru will be accommodated on-site and will cause minimal , if any disruption to the on-site parking.
ON-SITE PARKING
With respect
to the proposed parking spaces, MDM requested that we count the parking operations at a free-standing Dunkin’ Donuts facility. Based on this request, we observed that the maximum occupied
spaces to be 17 spaces at 450 Broadway in Methuen, Massachusetts. After receiving this information, the reviewer has commented (January 4, 2013 letter) that the proposed 19 parking
spaces may be inadequate. Based on this comment, we counted the existing facility located at 982 Osgood Street and observed the maximum occupied spaces to be 12 spaces. The Parking
Demand Studies conducted at the two existing facilities provided occupied spaces less than the 19 spaces being provided at the proposed site. Based on the information provided, the data
suggest that the peak-parking demand can be accommodated on the site. Parking spaces that were provided in the last response letter for other sites were merely provided as information
showing that other similar sites have spaces equal to or less than those provided on the proposed site. No actual parking counts were done for these other sites.
Sincerely yours,
MHF
DESIGN CONSULTANTS, INC.
Mark S. Gross. P.E.
Principal
Cc: Mr. Dan Mills, MDM Transportation Consultants, Inc.
Mr. Greg Nolan, Cafua Management Company, Inc.
Mr.
Joseph D. Peznola, P.E. Hancock Associates