Council approves Starbucks with drive‑thru at St. Lucie West; requires right‑turn lane

Port St. Lucie City Council approved a minor site plan on March 10, 2025, for a 2,100‑square‑foot Starbucks coffee shop with a drive‑thru in the Walmart shopping center at St. Louis Boulevard and Cashmere Boulevard in the St. Lucie West area. The council's approval included a condition that the applicant construct a southbound right‑turn lane at the site's northern driveway on Cashmere Boulevard before the certificate of occupancy is issued.

Bethany Grubbs with the planning department summarized the request and the traffic analysis. Staff said the proposed coffee shop is expected to generate about 153 daily trips with 84 PM‑peak hour trips; the traffic report concluded existing roadway segments would operate within capacity but recommended a southbound right‑turn lane at the northern driveway to address increased delays. The right‑turn lane construction was attached as a condition of approval.

Grubbs said the site plan review committee recommended approval on April 22 and that the St. Lucie West Architectural Review Board had approved the proposed elevations. The drive‑thru use had already received a special exception from council to allow a drive‑thru in the general commercial zoning district.

The council voted to approve the minor site plan with staff recommendations and the turn‑lane condition. The applicant is required to install the lane prior to the certificate of occupancy to "guarantee site turning vehicles do not create unnecessary backups and delays" at the intersection, according to staff presentation.