Planning commission approves 7 Brew drive‑through at 215 Lakeshore Parkway

The Homewood Planning Commission on Aug. 5 voted 6‑0 to approve an amendment to the Wildwood Center South redevelopment plan to permit a standalone 722‑square‑foot 7 Brew drive‑through at 215 Lakeshore Parkway.

The amendment allows a single‑story, drive‑through‑only coffee building with two drive‑through lanes and one bypass lane, site parking, landscaping and other site improvements. The applicant, Wells Holiday of Southern Brew Corp., said the existing Costa’s Barbecue building on the site will be demolished to make way for the new stand.

The approval matters because it changes the site plan for a portion of Wildwood Center South and will go next to the Homewood City Council for consideration. Commission members asked about visibility, circulation, parking and site screening during the exchange.

Wells Holiday, representing Southern Brew Corp., described the proposal and operations: “The 7 brew is to be a drive thru only, liquids only coffee stand with 2 drive thru lanes and 1 bypass lane.” Holiday said the building is modular and that an exterior cooler attached by a canopy is a discrete pre‑manufactured piece: “The exterior cooler. Yeah. The the exterior cooler.” He added that, by attaching the unit, “it’s considered 1 building.”

Planning staff and the applicant said the plan provides the four parking spaces required by the city’s code for this use. As Holiday summarized, “We are showing 4 and the code requires 4.” The submittal also shows landscaping including trees and shrubs intended to screen the rear of the building and mechanicals. The applicant said the proposal has no interior customer seating but includes an exterior patio; staffing was estimated at seven employees per shift across three shifts and an expected opening hour of about 6 a.m.

Other project details discussed at the meeting: HVAC equipment will be located on the roof; trash will be handled by a single, screened dumpster enclosure; and the applicant said construction could begin as early as September, with an estimated two‑month build timeframe if approvals are secured.

After questions, a commissioner moved to approve the amendment; the motion was seconded and passed on a 6‑0 vote. The planning commission’s approval advances the amendment to the Homewood City Council for its review.

The case had been carried over from the commission’s July 8 meeting for further consideration.