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Plan Commission approves drive‑thru coffee shop at 3915 E. Washington with pedestrian access conditions
Summary
The commission approved a conditional use for a two‑story coffee shop with a two‑lane drive‑thru at 3915 E. Washington, subject to pedestrian access improvements and a condition to work with staff on wayfinding signage.
The Madison Plan Commission on March 3 approved a conditional use for a proposed 2,230‑square‑foot, two‑story coffee shop with a two‑lane drive‑thru at 3915 E. Washington Avenue, subject to conditions intended to improve pedestrian access.
Planning staff said the site is zoned for community mixed use and lies within the city’s newly adopted transit‑oriented development (TOD) overlay. Tim Parks noted staff support so long as the applicant provides a more direct pedestrian connection from the East Washington sidewalk to the building entrance that does not cross drive‑through lanes, and as long as pedestrian access is maintained in line with TOD supplemental regulations.
Nicholas Davies, a registrant who opposed the project, said the current site and building plan do not meet multiple TOD requirements: he argued the building faces away from the primary abutting street, lacks an identifiable barrier‑free primary entrance on East Washington, and requires pedestrians to travel a long, indirect route that he said is inconsistent with the TOD intent. Paul Bailey raised similar concerns about barriers between the sidewalk and the storefront.
Milena Oliveira, representing the applicant’s design team, said the applicant is revising the site plan in response to staff comments, including adding pedestrian connections and a walk‑up service window; the team said grading constraints make some routes challenging, but that designers are working on additional stair and ramp alternatives to improve access.
Commissioner Solheim moved to approve the conditional use subject to the conditions in the staff report; Alder Field seconded. Commissioners added a condition directing the applicant to work with staff on wayfinding signage to clarify pedestrian access, subject to applicable sign code standards. The motion passed unanimously.
What’s next: Applicant will revise the site plan to show the direct pedestrian connection and submit final drawings for staff approval and for any additional Urban Design Commission review required by subsequent steps.
Sources: Staff report and public hearing remarks at the March 3, 2025 Plan Commission meeting.
