HOUGHTON — Plans for two new businesses in Houghton progressed at Tuesday’s Houghton Planning Commission meeting.

The commission recommended a special use permit for a recreational marijuana shop on Ridge Road, and also approved the site plan for a Dunkin’ Donuts/Baskin-Robbins on M-26.

Nu Group LLC is opening a Nirvana Center adult-use marijuana shop at 1031 Ridge Rd. It was mostly recently used by the Bambu restaurant.

Speaking via telecom at Tuesday’s meeting, Nu Group’s attorney Zack Learman said it would create an estimated 20 full-time jobs.

Responding to a concern from an audience member who owns property nearby, Learman said the building would have a carbon filtration system in place to prevent odors from spreading to areas nearby.

City Manager Eric Waara said there had been no odor complaints regarding the other marijuana retail establishments in the city.

Learman also projected a 5% maximum increase in traffic on the road from the business.

The special use permit will now go to the Houghton City Council.

The Dunkin’ Donuts site plan for 1202 Memorial Road calls for tearing down the former Hardee’s on-site and replacing it with a smaller building.

“It doesn’t fit well what operationally has to happen inside the building,” said project architect Mario Valentini. “Aesthetically, it’s not what Dunkin’ brands like to see for the building.”

Lighting on the site will be changed to something less bright, Valentini said. The current lighting had drawn complaints from residents.

Kelly Steelman, who lives nearby, said several of her neighbors had to get blackout curtains.

“I think we have a vested interest in the neighborhood and having a successful business in that location,” she said. “But we’d also really like to have a good neighbor.”

Much of Tuesday night’s discussion centered on how to manage traffic around the site, particularly on Fourth Street.

The main exit from the drive-through will be onto M-26 instead of Fourth Street, as requested by the city. The curb cuts on M-26 will be consolidated to one entry-exit location, rather than the multiple sites now.

People will also be able to enter and exit off of Fifth Street. But Fourth presents more problems, commissioners said. Unlike Fifth, there are other businesses nearby. And it’s also a tighter turn into and out of the lot.

Commissioners agreed with Dunkin’ that preserving an exit off Fourth would be a good safety valve in case of backups. But they also endorsed using signage to discourage people from entering.

“I don’t think you’re fighting an uphill battle, because people are already used to that being exit-only,” said Planning Commission member Norma Veurink. “If you put signage there saying, ‘Exit only,’ that would help. People are used to that. Will people sneak in there? Possibly … it’d be an easier approach from Fifth Street anyway.”

The Planning Commission approved the site plan, contingent on Dunkin’ Donuts removing the entrance striping on Fourth Street and not including a sign marking it as an entrance. Also, instead of riprap on the M-26 frontage, Dunkin’ must use vegetation.

The next step will be getting a building permit, Waara said. They are also required to get Michigan Department of Transportation approval for the stormwater system. Dunkin’s plan is projected to reduce impervious surfaces by 10%.

Another food establishment will be returning to the city. Waara said Little Caesar’s, which closed last year, will be reopening under new ownership as soon as this summer. Because the business is using the same location, no site plan will be needed.

The commission also approved site plans for two smaller additions to other businesses. Flowers by Sleeman added a garage; Houghton Building Supply added a lean-to.

Waara said the city will look to change its zoning code so that minor additions such as those two would only require a smaller site plan review.

A rezoning request for a parcel on Canal Road was on Tuesday’s agenda, but postponed so the city could get more specifics. For instance, the current proposal is requesting a rezoning from R-1 to R-3 or R-4. It will be discussed at the March meeting, with the intent of scheduling a public hearing for April.