Council OKs extended drive‑through hours for Cambridge Road restaurant with added trash and rodent conditions

WOBURN — The Woburn City Council on Tuesday granted a special permit to RTH Management LLC to extend drive‑through hours at a fast‑food restaurant at 187 Cambridge Road to 2 a.m., subject to amended conditions intended to reduce litter and address rodent concerns.

Attorney James Giuliano, representing the petitioner, told the council the applicant requested the extension “in accordance with section 5.1 0.29 and section 5.1 note 16” and that the petitioner proposed an additional condition requiring “the applicant shall provide additional exterior trash receptacles on the property in locations reasonably accessible to patrons and staff in order to reduce litter and promote proper waste disposal, including any and disposal, including any and all dumpsters located on the property.”

The petition drew public support from resident Jim Joyce, who said he favored later hours for people who work off‑shift and welcomed the trash‑reduction measures and a rodent control approach he described as using a short‑lived product that “does not bioaccumulate.” Joyce spoke during the public hearing in favor of the permit.

Why it matters: Councilors said extended hours respond to late‑shift customer demand but also raise public‑safety and nuisance concerns. The council added conditions to limit those risks rather than deny the permit, tying approval to operational measures—extra trash receptacles, upkeep of dumpsters, and a rodent‑control contract mentioned in the conditions.

Council discussion focused on the new condition language and whether the rodent‑control wording in the conditions matched public comments. Attorney Giuliano confirmed an added sentence to condition 5 specifying exterior trash receptacles and noted an addition clarifying permitted days/times was added to condition 7. Several councilors thanked the petitioner for addressing security and cleanliness.

Outcome: The council voted to grant the special permit “subject to the conditions as amended this evening.” The record shows at least one councilor announced they would abstain because they were not present at the August public hearing; the motion otherwise carried.

What happens next: The permit becomes effective with the specified conditions. The council will expect the petitioner to follow the trash‑management and rodent‑control measures described during the hearing; the council discussion recorded a commitment to regular upkeep of dumpsters and additional exterior receptacles.

Speakers who addressed the council on this item included Attorney James Giuliano (representing RTH Management LLC), Rich Hogan (manager, RTH Management LLC), Jim Joyce (resident, Schwam Road), Clerk Higgins, President Dillon and multiple councilors.