Planning board continues Plain Street restaurant redevelopment after traffic, stormwater and access questions

The Lowell Planning Board continued a May 19 public hearing on a revised site plan for 190 and 198 Plain Street, a redevelopment of the former VFW property that would add three fast-food/fast-casual restaurants and associated parking and access changes.

Lowell Dev LLC asked the board to amend special permits and approve a revised site plan to modify two of three previously approved restaurants. The current submission replaces two earlier tenants with a Starbucks and a Chipotle and slightly increases the square footage of two buildings; Popeye’s remains as a drive‑through-only third building. Attorney John Gary told the board the combined parcels total about 87,828 square feet (roughly two acres) and the current plan shows 44 parking spaces on site.

The applicant asked the board to extend previously granted special permits (Section 12.4 and 6.1.55 of the Lowell zoning code) and to confirm site plan changes under Section 11.4 and Section 11.3. Gary said the mixed tenant configuration, combined with brand and delivery patterns, supports the request for a reduced parking calculation; the project team said brand standards and opposite peak hours for Starbucks and Chipotle reduce simultaneous parking demand.

Traffic and pedestrian safety were central concerns. Derek Roche of Vanasse & Associates presented the traffic study and said the site is expected to generate about 89–92 peak-hour trips but that many trips are “pass-by” trips from existing Plain Street traffic; the redevelopment generates fewer daily trips than the previously approved plan in some peak periods but increases Saturday midday volumes. Roche and city transportation staff proposed mitigation measures including signal timing optimization at the nearby Meadow Brook (Target) intersection, trimming vegetation for sight lines, removing a fence at the property line and improved pavement markings.

Residents raised cut-through concerns. Denise Eaton, 14 Montreal St., told the board residents use Montreal and a private drive (Eaton Street) to bypass Plain Street congestion and asked whether drive-through customers would use Montreal as an exit, saying, “I think they're gonna be cutting through to avoid the traffic… they'll be dumped in front of my property.” Eaton also asked about dumpster maintenance and litter control behind the site.

Stormwater and utility questions remained unresolved. Engineer Christine Shea of Depreet Engineering described an underground infiltration system and pretreatment best-management practices designed to reduce runoff volumes. She said one small section of Chipotle’s parking could not be routed to infiltration and the team offered two options for an outfall: connect across Plain Street to the Meadow Brook (Target) plaza drainage (subject to coordination) or tie into a city manhole at the Plain/Tanner intersection. Wastewater staff also asked that the grease trap operation and maintenance be tied into the stormwater permit process.

Fire access was another open item. Deputy Chief Crabtree requested through-access to the rear of Buildings 2 and 3; the project team presented a revised swept-path showing a ladder truck could traverse a counterclockwise perimeter route if transformers and dumpsters are relocated. The board asked for final, signed confirmation from the fire department before approval.

Board members requested clearer pedestrian treatments on the Plain Street frontage. Members suggested adding a pedestrian bump‑out (at the cost of one parking space) or other protected crossing treatments to reduce the risk of people crossing from cars parked on Plain Street to the restaurants. Several members asked for sidewalk detail and a clearer pedestrian circulation diagram.

After discussion the planning board voted to continue the matter to its June 2 meeting and asked the applicant to return with a revised site plan incorporating: (1) updated fire-department‑approved swept-path diagrams and any resulting relocation of dumpsters/transformers; (2) clearer pedestrian-crossing/bump-out proposals and crosswalk treatments; (3) confirmation of the stormwater outfall option acceptable to the wastewater utility; and (4) documentation of any prior signage conditions limiting access/egress onto Montreal Street from the previously approved decision.

The applicant said the project team will provide the requested revisions and that tenants are pursuing an aggressive schedule subject to final approvals.