ZBA unanimously blocks Dunkin' Donuts drive-through on 796 Boston Road

BILLERICA — February 19, 2025 — Billerica's ZBA unanimously denied a Dunkin' Donuts drive-through special permit and rejected the associated variances at 796 Boston Road on February 19, quashing a plan by BBPA Realty LLC to build a 1,848-square-foot restaurant with a drive-through on a general business lot abutting the Pinehurst neighborhood. More than a dozen Cook Street and surrounding residents testified against the petition filed by principal Greg Nolan, with neighbor Mary Leach arguing all four Chapter 40A variance criteria — unique site conditions, hardship, public good, and zoning intent — were unmet, and John Fosse of Catherine Avenue calling the Cook Street and Boston Road signal "a nightmare" already running three to five cycles during peak hours. The board denied the green strip and corner-lot egress variances 2-3, then voted 5-0 against the special permit, with member Mike Sweeney calling the site "one of the last great sites in Pinehurst" to be squandered on a fast-food drive-through. The same night the board voted 5-0 to approve a variance for a new indoor pickleball and badminton complex at 15 Middlesex Turnpike, requiring only an 18-foot setback to a private drive where 40 feet is required.