Germantown planning commission approves Starbucks drive‑through at Exeter Village with design exceptions

The City of Germantown Planning Commission on Feb. 4 approved a revised final plan to add a new Starbucks drive‑through at Exeter Village Shopping Center, 2055 Exeter Road.

The vote was 6–2 to approve the 2,450‑square‑foot outbuilding, a requested parking reduction for the overall shopping center and five justified design alternatives under the city’s smart‑code overlay. Chairman John McCreery presided over the meeting; Commissioner Bacon made the motion to approve.

The vote matters because the project is proposed under the city’s Urban Center T5 overlay (the “smart code”) even though the existing center remains zoned SC‑1 (shopping center). Staff said redevelopment must comply with the overlying T5 rules and that Starbucks’ plan requires exceptions where strict code standards do not fit the context.

Planning manager Ms. Goroleski told the commission the building will occupy a former parking area and that the applicant is asking for roughly an eight‑space parking reduction for the center. She said the Starbucks itself is designed at about 2,400–2,450 square feet and will include a drive‑through queuing lane that the applicant’s materials show can hold about 16 vehicles in a stack.

Adam Lightman, who identified himself as the shopping‑center owner, said the tenant and owner had…