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Planning board grants conditional approval to McDonald’s at 792 Elm St., approves sidewalk waiver
Summary
Milford Planning Board approved a conditional site‑plan approval for a new McDonald’s at 792 Elm St. and granted a waiver not to install a sidewalk on the Elm Street frontage, subject to fire‑department changes, staff‑approved architectural revisions, completion of state and town permits and updated snow/Green SnowPro plan notes.
The Milford Planning Board conditionally approved a site plan for a new McDonald’s restaurant at 792 Elm Street (SP2024‑21) on Jan. 22 and granted the applicant a waiver from installing a sidewalk along the Elm Street frontage.
Jim Cransfield of Boller Engineering, representing Milford Gateway LLC, summarized the proposal: a 3,694‑sq.‑ft. McDonald’s with a drive‑through on a 1.84‑acre Integrated Commercial‑Industrial lot within the West Elm Street Gateway District. The stormwater design calls for an underground closed system with deep‑sump catch basins and infiltration features; the engineered design reduces post‑development runoff for standard recurrence intervals, and the site is within 250 feet of a DES shoreland area, so state review will be required.
Staff and board pushed architectural and streetscape expectations under the West Elm Gateway guidance; the applicant provided revised elevations with added cornice treatment and increased landscaping after earlier staff comments. Jim Cransfield noted the team added a cornice and “soften[ed] up the hardened, contemporary look of the prototype” to better match local expectations.
The applicant requested and the board granted a waiver from installing a short isolated sidewalk along Elm Street, citing the site’s deep drainage swale and the lack of an existing pedestrian network in that immediate stretch. The waiver motion passed by roll call.
The board then voted to grant conditional approval of the site plan subject to four stated conditions: (1) satisfy the fire department memo and hydrant locations, (2) finalize architectural details and color palette with staff, (3) obtain any and all state and town permits (AOT, driveway/driveway permit and related approvals), and (4) add plan notes addressing snow storage and Green SnowPro expectations (and ensure off‑site hauling if on‑site capacity is exceeded). The motion for conditional approval passed by roll call.
Staff and the applicant will work out final architectural materials, finalize snow storage details and Green SnowPro language, update hydrant locations per fire‑department review, and include any DES/AOT permit conditions before the plan is signed and released.
