Dunkin' Donuts Adds Landscaping to East Main Site

The owner of Kent's forthcoming Dunkin' Donuts has added landscaping elements to the restaurant's East Main Street property at the request of the Kent Planning Commission.

The commission signed off on a site plan for the project earlier this month but under the condition that the landscape plan be expanded for the new eatery.

At its Oct. 3 meeting, members of the commission criticized the original plan for having almost no landscape elements.

Elizabeth Eaken of David Sommers & Associates, the architect designing the project, told the commission Tuesday that since then they slid the building slightly to the north and west to make room for mulch beds with shrub and flower plantings.

"By sliding it to the north we were able to fit in this landscaping buffer around the seating area," Eaken said.

And by sliding it slightly to the west Eaken expanded a landscape buffer along University Drive from 2 feet by 6 feet in size to 4 feet by 6 feet. Eaken said they couldn't move the building any further north or west without making the drive-thru lane too small.

Commission member Melissa Long said she was happy to see Dunkin' Donuts worked more landscaping into its tight site plan.

"I like what you’ve done," Long said. "It does add greenspace and I know there are restrictions on this lot. By moving the building a little to the rear and again to the west you’ve allowed for some plantings, and I appreciate that."

Construction could start as early as January or, the latest, April with a 90 day to 120 day construction period.