Car Wash & Coffee Shop Proposed For Route 9 in Framingham

By Nick Barry

***

[broadstreet zone=”59982″]

FRAMINGHAM – A company wants to construct a car wash & coffee shop on Route 9, near Saint Bridget Church, and is is requesting site plan review and several special permits from the Framingham Planning Board.

Universal Property Management, a company based in Westborough, went before the Framingham Planning Board on July 22 to request permits to build a car wash & coffee shop at 790 and 816 Worcester Road. 

Specifically, the company is seeking “major site plan review, a special for Fast Food, a special permit for a drive-thru facility, a special permit for car wash use, a special permit for land disturbance and stormwater management, and a special permit for public access way.”

The company was represented by Andrew Tagon and Andrew Street, Kirsten Braun, and Paul Galvani. Ari Hasiotas, the president of Universal Property Management, was also present. 

Attorney Galvani said that the company wanted to build a carwash and a drive through restaurant called 7 Brew Coffee, a chain that has already been established in several areas in Arkansas.

Once patrons arrived at the carwash, they would drive into one of three lanes: one with an attendant, one with a kiosk, and one for patrons with prepaid plans.

[broadstreet zone=”59948″]

Similarly, 7 Brew Coffee will also embrace this fast service model, as attendants will place orders on iPads and deliver them to patron’s cars.

Customers would be able to access and exit the site on either Curve Street or Wheeler Avenue. 

Several members of the public expressed concern about how the carwash and drive-thru would affect flooding, the wetlands, and noise in the neighborhood.

“I know that Curve Street is a very tough road to get through and I would be very concerned about additional traffic on there for the residents,” said Ed Cross, a resident of Union Avenue. 

[broadstreet zone=”59984″]

Members of the Framingham Planning Board also were concerned about how the property would impact traffic on Curve Street and whether or not the noise from the site would disrupt activity at Saint Bridget’s Parish, which is located nearby.

Planning Board members also were critical of the fact that the drive thru did not have any protection from inclement weather, which they believed would put the employees at risk.

“People exposed in all weather? That concept doesn’t sound real public health oriented to me,” said Framingham Planning Board member Shannon Fitzpatrick.

No action was taken at the meeting, and the petitioner will be before the 5-member Planning Board again on Thursday, August 5.

***

Nick Barry is a 2021 SOURCE summer intern. This is his second time interning with the digital news outlet. He is a student at Westfield State University.