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Merrimack planning board grants driveway waiver for proposed Heavenly Donuts, continues traffic review to March 3
Summary
The Merrimack Planning Board voted 7–0 to grant a waiver allowing a new driveway less than 100 feet from an existing gated emergency access for a proposed Heavenly Donuts at 725 Daniel Webster Highway, and continued the project’s public hearing to March 3 so members can review a traffic study. Neighbors pressed the developer for coordination and pedestrian/sidewalk improvements.
The Merrimack Planning Board on Jan. 20 granted a waiver to allow a new driveway less than 100 feet from an existing gated emergency access as part of a proposed Heavenly Donuts coffee shop and drive‑thru at 725 Daniel Webster Highway.
The motion, made by Lynn and seconded by John, passed unanimously, 7–0. The board then opened the public hearing on the application and later voted to continue the hearing to March 3, 2026, to allow review of a traffic study and Foster/Thorn (Fuss & O'Neil) engineering comments.
Matt Peterson of Keach Narsham Associates, the project’s representative, told the board the NHDOT scoping meeting identified questions about left‑turn stacking to the north and right‑turn capacity from the south. “We had our scoping meeting with the NHDOT on November 12, 2025,” Peterson said, and the traffic engineer has since completed most counts; one radar run will be repeated and Peterson said he expected a report in February to circulate before the March hearing.
Residents from the adjacent Society Hill complex urged closer coordination and stronger pedestrian connections. Ryan Donovan, a Society Hill board director, said his association asked the developer to contact their management company but had not yet heard back: “We had asked just because we’re gonna be sharing use of the intersection now if the developer could contact us, specifically through a management company, Evergreen Management, to arrange that. To date, there has been no communication from them.”
Neighbors raised concerns about vehicle queuing on Brunswick Road, pedestrian safety and whether the site plan should add sidewalks or change crosswalk locations. Peterson said the team will analyze stacking and turn‑lane length and that the DOT will sign off on any changes to the signal and curb cuts. He also said the applicant has added screening and a fence to reduce off‑site light and vehicle impacts.
Staff recommended continuing the hearing so board members could see the traffic analysis before accepting the application; the board voted to continue the hearing to March 3, 2026, at 6:30 p.m., with no further written notice. The traffic report will be public record when submitted to Community Development and will be reviewed by the town’s engineer.
The board’s approval of the driveway waiver pertains to the site‑plan rule cited in the staff packet; any future changes resulting from the traffic analysis would be considered at the March hearing.
