A proposed 7 Brew drive-through in the Schnucks shopping center at 8828 Manchester Road did not receive final approval July 21 after aldermen rejected a motion to perform the second reading the same night. The application will return for a second reading at a later meeting.

Planning and Zoning recommended approval of the conditional-use permit (the commission vote was 8-0). City consultant CBB presented revised site plans that relocate and reorient stacking lanes and add landscaping islands; staff said the designs increase on-site stacking capacity and that Chinook’s (the center’s operator) supports the plan. The applicant also requested a parking-variance approval because the revised site would be short of 21 standard parking spaces.

CBB traffic consultant Sean White told the board the study used transactional data provided by 7 Brew and estimated up to about 104 vehicle transactions in a peak hour for worst-case modeling; using applicant service-time data (45 seconds per vehicle for conservatism), White said average lane storage would be modest and that in practice customers often leave if queues are unusually long. White also said MoDOT reviewed the site and did not require a formal traffic-impact study for this project.

Aldermen, particularly those representing nearby neighborhoods, raised concerns about vehicle queuing possibly spilling onto Manchester Road, the safety of left turns at Collier Avenue and the continued presence of a right-in/right-out access that the property owner has not agreed to close. Alderman Gould said the potential for arterial backups and collisions merited more public conversation; she asked for assurance that on-street congestion would not increase and expressed interest in additional public input from nearby shoppers and residents.

7 Brew operations manager and franchise representative Joe Rafferty described the business as a drive-through–focused beverage shop and said the company trains staff and uses in-lane order takers to minimize service times. Rafferty and the design team said they would use staff to manage circulation during high-demand special events and that the submitted plan includes reconfigured stacking lanes that CBB and staff consider adequate for ordinary operations.

Aldermen voted on whether to allow a same-night second reading; the motion failed. Because the board did not grant the second reading at this meeting, the item will appear for second reading and final action at the board’s next regular meeting. The city has required a comprehensive sign plan return if proposed signage would exceed current code allowances; staff said neon striping or similarly bright exterior treatments would need additional approval.