CHINA — A proposed new Dunkin’ Donuts at the Fieldstone Quick Stop will be part of a revamped gas station store that will include seating, better refrigeration units and improved air conditioning, owner Thadius Barber said Tuesday.
Barber is proposing to add the doughnut shop to the building at the intersection of Routes 3 and 32, where it will join an existing Subway and a pizza shop.
“It’s almost going to create a food court concept,” Barber said, after a Maine Department of Transportation meeting held Tuesday afternoon at the Town Office.
The DOT is reviewing the project, which is estimated to bring an additional 254 trips to the store during busy morning hours.
DOT Mid Coast Region Traffic Engineer David Allen said the state will require a turn lane to be added to Route 3 and that there be sufficient parking at the site. Barber will be required to pay about $40,000 to the state for the cost of the traffic lane, which would be added next summer during other improvements to Route 3.
“I think this passes the straight-face test to go forward,” Allen said.
China Planning Board members plan to meet again Aug. 14 to continue consideration of the proposal. At that time, the board will decide whether to hold a public hearing on the project.
One of the concerns expressed by the town is about whether traffic will stack up on Route 32 north as customers wait to go through the Dunkin’ Donuts drive-through line. Barber said Dunkin’ Donuts has told him they think his location will be in the middle- to lower-end of typical sales.
“Most customers are going to get gas and go in to get a doughnut,” he said.
If it does generate a lot of additional traffic, he has room on the site to add a second drive-through lane, he said.
“It does me no good to turn away customers and have them in the road,” he said.
Barber said once he gets all his state and town permits, he hopes to start construction in October and be open early next year. He said the three food vendors providing options from breakfast to dinner will give his location a boost.
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