A potential Dunkin', relocated Speedway, move another step forward in Elyria

ELYRIA — The possibility for a new Dunkin' and a relocated Speedway took another step forward Monday night, as City Council's committees approved the rezoning requests. Rezoning is only the first step in the process of the buildings, and design plans have not been submitted. The rezoning requests also have to be approved by full City Council. Both issues went before Planning Commission on April 7 and were approved. Dunkin' is looking to build a new location at 905 E. Broad St., where the old Elyria Medical Group building sits next to Longson Avenue. Speedway, which is across the street from Dunkin's potential shop, is also looking to build a new gas station and store at 565 Abbe Road. Dunkin' needs a lot consolidation before it submits design plans for approval, and Speedway also will have to submit design plans for various city departments to review. Councilwoman Donna Mitchell, D-6th Ward, voiced concerns over a next door resident to the proposed Dunkin', and how close she would be to the drive-thru. The Longson resident, Gayle McGee, had spoken at the earlier Planning meeting. "At 5:00 in the morning? That can get pretty loud," Mitchell said. "And if she has to listen to that all day, I can understand her concerns. ... We really don't want this resident to have to hear people ordering coffee at 5 in the morning." Store hours are currently proposed to be from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m., although the closing time could change. Paul Rubenstein, who represents Danop Ltd., which would own the Dunkin', said the company has looked into the resident's concerns. He said the speaker won't be facing her window, and with the added buffers, the speaker is 36 feet away from the property line. Rubenstein said he is also looking into the decibel of the drive-thru speaker. The company is also planning some landscaping on the buffer between the road and drive-thru , which he said could help muffle any sounds. "We want to make sure that everyone's happy," Rubenstein said. "She's a potential customer. The reason we're moving there is the density of the population, and one bad situation snowballs and the next thing you know, it effects the business." Longson Avenue, which is a dead-end road, was created to be residential and not for truck traffic. The road does not have curbs or full storm sewers. It's just an asphalt road about 20 to 21 feet wide. There were concerns over the condition of the road, but Rubenstein said the business doesn't plan to have any truck traffic on it, including construction trucks. Redoing Broad Street is a project slated to be worked on next year and the year after that, but Mayor Frank Whitfield has said he's had conversations with the Engineer's Office to move the project up to create more lanes down Broad Street. If that were to happen, Rubenstein said his company would work with the Engineer's Office's plan for Broad Street so it would work with the Dunkin' location. "It sounds like they're going to try very hard to be good neighbors," Mitchell said. "And that's what I hope. So, based on what Mr. Rubenstein has said, I have no problem with it." For rezoning to proceed, the Dunkin' and Speedway must be approved by full City Council, which is hearing the requests at its next virtual meeting 7 p.m. Monday, May 4. Design plans must then be submitted to various city departments and pass through Planning Commission. Contact Laina Yost at (440) 329-7121 or lyost@chroniclet.com.