Public hearing set in North Canaan for new Dunkin’

NORTH CANAAN — The Planning and Zoning Commission received an application for a new Dunkin’ location at 14 East Main Street across from the Stop & Shop plaza.

A public hearing for the special permit application was set for July 14 at 7 p.m.

Allan Borghesi of Borghesi Building and Engineering Company in Torrington presented the plan to P&Z at its regular meeting June 9.

He described a roughly 1,800-square-foot building with a drive thru lane and parking lot. The design is largely the same as an application that was approved by P&Z more than 10 years ago, with the addition of a rain garden, he said.

The Inland Wetlands and Conservation Commissionapproved the updated plan in April 2025.

If approved by P&Z, the new building will replace the existing Dunkin’ located in the gas station across the street.

Mining at odd hours

A second public hearing July 14 will take place to discuss a proposed text change to mining regulations.

The text change would add email as a viable communication option for miners requesting permission to mine outside of the permitted times of Monday to Friday 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

George Martin, zoning enforcement officer, drafted the text change.

“The present regulations calls for a fax to be sent to the ZEO,” said P&Z Chairman Mike O’Connor. “George proposed a text change to add email to the accepted forms of communication.”

Mining operators are permitted up to 200 hours per year, with approval, to mine outside of typical hours for “emergencies” including weather, equipment breakdown or seasonal demands.

Martin noted there is no specified time requirement to request approval, and there have been instances where permission was requested after the fact.

“They’re notifying me either the day of or the day after. I’m asking them to adhere to this and be a day ahead, if at all possible, but if they have emergency breakdowns in the middle of something they might not be able to get ahold of me,” said Martin.

Adding a time requirement was not included in Martin’s proposed text change.

Martin said he has received noise complaints related to mining on Allyndale Road and Sodom Road recently.

Martin reported that he conducted a noise test using a decibel app on his phone and found the volume to be within reason.

“I got no reading above 65 decibels. I’m not a scientist. It’s not perfect. But it’s not up in the danger range,” said Martin.

The hearing on the text change will follow the hearing for Dunkin’.