Chipotle and Wendy’s coming to Claremont
Published: 12-22-2023 2:15 PM
Modified: 12-24-2023 1:26 AM |
CLAREMONT — A developer is planning to bring burritos and burgers to Washington Street.
Pending city approvals, DDMNS Realty will build a Chipotle Mexican Grill and a Wendy’s restaurant on the lots at 384 and 392 Washington Street, according to Daniel Hannoush, manager of the West Springfield, Mass.-based firm.
At its meeting Wednesday, the city Planning Board will review subdivision and site plan applications for the project, which would sit opposite Hobby Lobby and the state liquor store.
According to the application, current owner Robert Landry, of Claremont, would merge four abutting lots and then ask the board to approve a subdivision of the merged property into two lots of equal size.
If the subdivision is approved, the board would consider the site plan, which calls for demolishing existing structures and building a restaurant on each lot.
Unity Stone Supply, which closed earlier this year, occupied two of the existing lots.
The other two lots are to the east and abut a parcel with a laundromat and a seasonal restaurant, which has not opened since 2021.
The four lots combined are a little more than 1½ acres and have a total assessed value of $826,000, according to city records.
Article continues after...
Yesterday's Most Read Articles
City Planner deForest Bearse stated in the application that the “submission procedure and documents for minor subdivisions have been met with this application.”
If Planning Board approval is granted, construction is slated to start in the spring and the restaurants would open in early 2025, according to the application.
The nearest Chipotle is in Keene, and the nearest Wendy’s is in West Lebanon.
The Wall Street Journal and other outlets reported earlier this year that Chipotle’s growth strategy includes an emphasis on smaller stores in smaller communities.
The site plan shows both restaurants at about 2,300 square feet. There would be outdoor patios and 53 shared parking spaces, and drive-through and bypass lanes would extend across the two parcels.
The property is served by public water and sewer.
According to the application, a traffic study concluded the restaurants would add 50 new trips on Washington Street on weekday mornings, 67 at peak time on weekday afternoons and 140 “during Saturday midday peak hour.”
Access would be through new curb cuts on Washington Street and Petrin Heights, and motorists exiting the properties and wishing to turn left onto Washington Street would be directed to the signal lights on Petrin Heights.
The proposal is the third major retail development on Washington Street to come before the Planning Board in recent months.
In November, the board approved a proposal for a Domino’s Pizza takeout and drive-thru restaurant at 54 Washington Street, currently the site of a shuttered gas station and car wash. Domino’s is currently in a shopping plaza on Washington Street.
In October, the board approved a 2,000-square-foot retail store on a vacant lot at 283 Washington Street. Bearse said last week a T-Mobile store would be the tenant.
Wednesday’s Planning Board meeting begins at 6:30 in City Hall.
Patrick O’Grady can be reached a pogclmt@gmail.com