More than two years after the Wallingford Planning & Zoning Commission approved a drive-thru-only Dunkin’ for the former Duchess Restaurant site in Yalesville, developers have returned to seek approval to add a gas station at the site.
The property is located at 124 Church St., also known as Route 68, in the Yalesville section of Wallingford. A 3,083-square-foot building on the site has been vacant since the Duchess Restaurant closed in October 2022 after 35 years in business.
The building, erected in 1986, is owned by Kingswood Realty LLC, which purchased it for $950,000 on Oct. 18, 2022, according to town property records.
In May 2024, the commission approved a site plan application for the property to create a drive-thru-only Dunkin’ using only half of the site. The plan called for constructing an addition on the east side of the existing building that would be occupied by a separate business that had not yet been determined.
The Dunkin’ in that application would be operated by Erica Rocha, daughter of Manny Rocha, who is the franchisee for the full-service Dunkin’ at 1101 North Colony Road (Route 5), next to Chili’s restaurant, in Wallingford.
Earlier this month, Atlantis Management Group of Mt. Vernon, New York, submitted a special permit request to instead demolish the existing building and build a gas station with approximately 4,500 square feet that would include a drive-thru retail space and a convenience store.
Don Crouch, the town’s economic development specialist, said Tuesday that the plans now call for a drive-thru-only Dunkin’ and the gas station/convenience store. He added that the Rochas would still operate the Dunkin’ franchise.
According to plans included with the application, the new building would be erected toward the rear of the property, with the 1,400-square-foot Dunkin drive-thru located on the western side. The Dunkin’ would have no interior seating.
The drive-thru queue would begin on the right side of the building, to the side and behind the convenience store, which is listed as 3,100 square feet, and is shown in one drawing as accommodating a dozen vehicles.
The plans also show four gasoline filling pumps in front of the building, and a total of 23 parking spaces on the site.
According to its website, Atlantis Management Group owns and operates convenience stores and fuel stations throughout the Northeast. It partners with a variety of gasoline brands, including Amoco, BP, Citgo, Conoco, Exxon, Gulf, Mobil, Phillips 66, Shell, Sinclair, Sunoco and Valero.
Crouch said the proposal would include demolishing the existing building and installing underground tanks to hold gasoline.
The commission has scheduled a public hearing on the application for its Oct. 14 meeting.
