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TOWN OF AMSTERDAM — A Take 5 Oil Change garage proposed on a narrow lot on Route 30 between Dunkin and Burger King in the town of Amsterdam has been approved by the Planning Board.
Chairman Alex Kuchis last week cast the only vote against the project plans that were approved by the board 4-1. He believes constructing a new business between two already heavily trafficked fast food restaurants will worsen conditions on the busy stretch of Route 30.
“Unfortunately, it ended up just being a symbolic vote,” Kuchis said.
Quattro Development, based in Illinois, plans to build a Take 5 Oil Change on a vacant lot at 4876 Route 30. The national franchise offers rapid drive-through services and stay-in-your-car oil changes. The developer has the roughly 1-acre site under contract.
John Hitchcock, of ABD Engineers representing the applicants, has argued new trips generated by the garage will be minor in comparison to the surrounding businesses or other uses allowed at the site under town zoning laws.
Take 5 Oil Change locations generate an average of 50 vehicle trips per day, according to company statistics. Project designers estimate a retail shop would generate an average of 177 vehicle trips per day and a restaurant would produce around 992 trips each day.
Furthermore, Hitchcock noted the state Department of Transportation has approved a full curb cut at the property allowing bi-directional traffic to and from the site. He has argued in the past the board cannot judge the new proposal based on conditions caused by other establishments.
Adam Yagelski, the town’s consultant with Delaware Engineering, confirmed the state did not raise any concerns over traffic or request an updated study in correspondence related to the project.
Yet, Yagelski said it was up to the board to decide if they would require the developers to study actual traffic conditions on Route 30 to assess the project’s impact. Traffic calculations for the application were based on standard averages and local data from a study conducted around 2006.
Commercial development has boomed along Route 30 in recent years, which has altered the traffic conditions, Yagelski indicated.
But the majority of the board was satisfied by DOT’s seeming acceptance of the conditions and members indicated requesting further analysis by the developers was “unrealistic” based on the comparatively low volume of cars expected to be serviced at the garage over the course each day.
“You have Burger King on one side, which has hundreds of cars an hour. You’ve got Dunkin’ Donuts on the other side, which has hundreds of cars an hour. This is going to add three more cars an hour,” board member Charles Archinal said. “We’re going to draw the line now?”
An average of 17,836 vehicles travel along Route 30 between Miami Avenue and Wallins Corners Road each day based on most recent estimates, according to a DOT spokesperson.
There is an average crash rate of 10.5 accidents per million vehicle miles in the broader area on Route 30 between Golf Course and Log City Road. The state does not have any plans to improve the corridor at this time, according to the DOT spokesperson.
Still, Kuchis’ safety concerns over additional traffic crossing the four lane road to reach another business in between already bustling restaurants were not alleviated following the board’s decision.
“I think we should have had a full traffic study. I believe at the very least the intensity of traffic by Burger King, their proposal and Dunkin’ Donuts is going to be just astronomical,” Kuchis said.
Reach Ashley Onyon at [email protected] or @AshleyOnyon on Twitter.
