Times Observer photo by Josh Cotton The Warren County Zoning Hearing Board approved a request for special exception that marks an early step in bringing a Dunkin Donuts to North Warren. Listening to a presentation on the proposal are panel members, from left, Don Saporito, Ed Atwood and David Miller.

The first step to bring a Dunkin Donuts to North Warren is in the books.

The Warren County Zoning Hearing Board approved a special exception for the proposed location at 333 Jackson Run Road, Conewango.

Drive-through restaurants require an additional layer of review per the county’s zoning ordinance.

Todd Markevicz, principal with APD engineering, was the first to present during the hearing. He told the board that the lot is about half an acre.

“What our client would like to do is convert the existing building, maintain the existing walls, shell as is,” Markevicz said, and “do an interior conversation to a Dunkin Donuts store.”

The proposal would “maintain the two access points” on Jackson Run Road and Market Street and result in “little to no change on the site.”

He said the bank that used to utilize the building had a drive thru and the plan is for an “eight-car stack” in the drive through, noting that his client, BAPA, operates around 50 of these stories in New York and Pennsylvania. Traffic estimates are based on data from those other establishments.

“We feel it would be a good fit,” Markevicz said.

There is one significant hurdle to overcome — securing a highway occupancy permit from PennDOT.

“We’ve been in conversations with the DOT,” he said. “This (Wednesday’s hearing) is kind of step one of the process.”

Deputy Planning Director Michael Lyon said he doesn’t “really have any issues” with the proposal from a zoning perspective.

He said PennDOT officials have informally said “they’re going to restrict the entrance on Jackson Run Road to right turn only” for traffic leaving the site.

“We don’t really have criteria for how many cars can or cannot be in the queue,” he added, noting that there “is more space than what (the proposal) originally shows.”

He suggested the panel approve the special exception contingent on PennDOT awarding the highway occupancy permit. A motion to that effect was passed 3-0 with one abstention. As far as timelines for the project, Lyon indicated it is too early to project given the need to secure the permit from PennDOT.