Plan Commission approves drive‑thru coffee shop at 1120 South Pooler Street with setback and lighting waivers

The City of Oshkosh Plan Commission approved a rezone and specific implementation plan to allow a 530-square-foot drive‑through coffee shop at 1120 South Pooler Street, with several base standard modifications (BSMs) and increased landscaping required by the commission.

Planning staff said the quarter-acre parcel currently contains a restaurant and is zoned suburban mixed use. The applicant requested a suburban mixed use district with a plan development overlay to permit redevelopment for a drive‑through-only coffee shop with a two‑lane drive‑through that wraps around the building. Because of the small lot size, the applicant requested BSMs for reduced front, side and rear setbacks (drive‑through lanes within about 13.5 feet of the front property line and 0‑foot side and rear setbacks), a parking reduction (0 spaces on site where code requires 2 given building size), and increased allowable lighting at property lines (applicant requested up to 2.9 foot‑candles along north and south lines and 1.7 foot‑candles along rear where the maximum is 0.5 foot‑candles).

Staff supported the BSMs given site constraints, noted the applicant has access to shared parking stalls in adjoining lots, and said the project provides nearly triple the required landscaping points and larger-sized street trees (Arborvitae increased from 4 to 6 feet). The staff report described the proposed Nichiha fiber cement siding (a material staff categorized as class 3) and recommended the commission consider whether it is acceptable compared with class 1 materials; staff recommended approval of the rezone, GDP and SIP.

Eric Traskowski, civil engineer with Excel Engineering, said the applicant had worked with staff after a December workshop and that the submitted plan reflects staff recommendations, including landscaping to shield headlight glare.

Commissioners discussed traffic flow challenges at the site and whether future parking-lot improvements could improve access; staff said the lot is a nonconforming layout and that future parking-lot replacement work could be used to improve circulation.

The commission voted to adopt the staff findings and recommendations; the motion carried 6–0 with one member recorded as "present" (Mister Bowen recorded as present; Miss Prab/ Prowl: yes; Mister Rucker: yes; Mister Bellville: yes; Miss Davey: yes; Mister Lowenstein: yes; Vice Chair Keefer: yes). Staff and the applicant will address final SIP details such as photometrics and planting locations during site plan review.