The Oak Park Village Board on Oct. 21 approved a special-use permit and related variances for a Dutch Bros Coffee two-lane drive-through at 316 Madison Street, adopting the Zoning Board of Appeals’ recommendation with conditions intended to mitigate traffic and pedestrian-safety concerns.

Development Services and planning staff described the proposal as a demolition of the existing building and construction of roughly a 1,200-square-foot coffee shop with a two-lane drive-through and a walk-up window intended to encourage pedestrian activity. The petition required variances for building placement, on-site parking location, one bypass lane serving two drive-through lanes, and multiple menu boards. Mike Bruce, village planner, said the proposed design provides internal stacking capacity and included conditions intended to address potential conflicts between drive-through traffic and pedestrians crossing Madison Street.

The Zoning Board of Appeals held a public hearing Oct. 8 and recommended approval with four conditions. At the hearing one person spoke in favor and one in opposition; concerns raised in both forums included possible conflicts with pedestrian crosswalks and interactions with the nearby bike lane. The ZBA’s recommended conditions include compliance with applicable zoning ordinance standards, installation of wheel stops along the eastern fence, and a metal railing along the west side of the bailout lane; staff asked the Village Board to concur and adopt the ordinance subject to those measures.

Trustees asked for clarification about demolition, paving and whether the project would restripe or fully replace the parking surface; staff said the building would be demolished and the project would include new or restriped parking depending on the final engineering plans, but they expected a full rework of the site. Trustees also asked about right-turn-only circulation for exiting vehicles, bike-lane safety, and the permit process for drive-throughs (drive-throughs require a special-use review because of traffic and pedestrian concerns).

The motion to concur with the Zoning Board of Appeals and adopt the ordinance was made by Trustee Enya and seconded by Trustee Wesley. Clerk Waters recorded the roll-call vote: Trustee Wesley — Yes; Trustee Straw — Yes; Trustee Eder — Yes; Trustee Enya — Yes; Trustee Levin Jacobson — Yes; Trustee Taglia — Yes; President Vicki Skamman — Yes. The motion carried unanimously.

The board’s approval includes the ZBA conditions; staff will ensure the required wheel stops, railing, and ordinance-specific items are included in the building permit and site plan approval process.

Speakers at the meeting noted the site has been vacant and that bringing a business back into use would likely increase sales-tax and property-tax revenue and provide more “eyes on the property” for school routes and pedestrian activity. Trustees requested continued attention to the intersection and bike-lane safety during permitting and construction.