Dunkin Donuts Drive-Thru Decision Postponed Again

The  Melrose Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) voted unanimously on Wednesday evening to grant a continuance to the owners of the Dunkin' Donuts at 470 Lynn Fells Parkway, who are seeking to add a drive-thru window to the store.

The Scrivanos Group—a North Reading-based franchisee of Dunkin' Brands that operates over 120 store locations throughout New England—is now scheduled to appear before the ZBA again on Oct 13. The last time they appeared before the ZBA was July 28, when they were also granted a continuance.

Scrivanos Group representative Judith Clark cited the timing of the summer months as the justification for the request.

"What we discovered is that when you're trying to put a team together to discuss serious issues such as this, it becomes really difficult to get things done when people are constantly leaving on vacation," she reasoned.  As a result, she said, the Scrivanos Group needed more time to finalize plans. 

Clark also noted that the Group wanted "as much input as possible" from Melrose residents, and that the August date was inconvenient for many who wished to attend and comment on the case.

ZBA member Brian Thorp agreed that postponing the case would be beneficial, saying that he had received several letters from residents who were unable to make it to the August 25 meeting. A continuance into the fall, Thorp said, would be more convenient for those who wanted to have their opinions heard.