After a long review, Braintree board decides on Union Street Chick-fil-A development
BRAINTREE − After a 10-month review, the planning board has approved plans for a Chick-fil-A restaurant and a Brookline Bank branch at the site of the long-vacant Motel 6.
The approval includes 89 conditions imposed on the $20 million development, which will be reviewed by state environmental and transportation officials.
"It is one of the most vetted proposals in the town," said Frank Marinelli, a lawyer representing property owner Torrington Properties.
Acting planning board Chair Kimberly Kroha said, "It has been a long road."
She said the board set "very strong conditions" on the development.
Developer says former Motel 6 would be razed in early 2024
Pete Doucet, director of development and construction for Torrington Properties, said they hope to start demolishing the former motel in February or March. The restaurant and the bank are expected to open for business in the spring of 2025.
"We're excited to get started," Doucet said after Tuesday's planning board meeting.
The primary issue in the review was the additional traffic that the popular restaurant would create in the frequently congested area near the Union Street rotary and Route 3 ramps. Town officials, engineering consultants and representatives of the developer went through several rounds of reviews before agreeing on a final plan.
Torrington will spend $2.5 million on traffic improvements, including new traffic lights and other changes at the nearby intersection of Union and Ivory streets and construction of a sidewalk from across from the MBTA station on Ivory Street to the front of Torrington's property.
Also included is the cost of police details to handle traffic duty during the first weeks the restaurant is open.
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There only entrance to the 2-acre development will be from Union Street. Drivers heading west on Union will have to turn left onto Ivory and then make a U-turn near the T station, head back down Ivory and turn right onto Union before they can enter the restaurant's lot.
Marinelli said the restaurant and the bank buildings are 20% of the size of the motel, and there is space on the long and narrow piece of land for up to 60 cars waiting for drive-thru service.
Cameras linked to the police station are included in the improvements at Union and Ivory streets, allowing police to monitor the area and act quickly if traffic delays become a problem. One condition calls for reports on area traffic six and 18 months after the restaurant opens.
Mikami wants more frequent traffic reports
Board member Darryl Mikami was the lone dissenter on the 4-1 vote to approve the site plan for the development. He said the reports on traffic aren't frequent enough.
"This project is largely about traffic," Mikami said.
Reach Fred Hanson at fhanson@patriotledger.com.
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This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: New Chick-fil-A development approved for Braintree Motel 6 site
