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Planning commission approves Dutch Bros drive‑through at Evergreen shopping center
Summary
The Lake Elsinore Planning Commission approved a conditional use permit amendment and commercial design review to allow a 980‑square‑foot Dutch Bros drive‑through at the Evergreen commercial development, conditioned on a queuing management plan; one abstention was noted.
The Lake Elsinore Planning Commission approved a conditional use permit amendment and commercial design review to allow a Dutch Bros drive‑through coffee shop on a 1.13‑acre parcel in the Evergreen commercial development, commissioners said at the meeting.
The project, described in staff materials as planning application 2021‑34 with conditional use permit amendment 2021‑12 and new permits (Conditional Use Permit 2024‑07 and Commercial Design Review 2024‑05), proposes a one‑story, 980‑square‑foot drive‑through building with a 340‑square‑foot outdoor dining area on a portion of Assessor Parcel No. 377‑020‑014. Staff said the two‑lane drive‑through would provide queuing for up to 19 vehicles and that the approval is conditioned on a queuing management plan to prevent the drive‑through from impeding adjacent roadways or on‑site circulation.
Carlos Serna, planning staff, told commissioners the site is located south of Central Avenue and east of Camborne Avenue within the roughly 8.86‑acre Evergreen commercial development, which also includes planned tenants such as Stater Brothers, a 7‑Eleven, Pollo Campero and a car wash. Serna said staff determined the proposal complies with the city’s general plan, municipal code and the county’s Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan (MSHCP) requirements.
Serna also said staff concluded, under California Environmental Quality Act guidelines section 15162, that no new environmental documentation is required because potential impacts were addressed by a previously adopted mitigated negative declaration (SCH No. 2022090133). "The conditional use permit would modify the already approved conditional use permit to operate a 2‑lane drive through that can queue up to 19 vehicles," Serna said.
John Caglia, the applicant, spoke in support and described the project as a local business expansion: "This is my third store in the city and will be my last store in the city. It is nice to say that I've opened 3 stores in the city that I live in." Caglia said the development would put previously vacant property to use and that family members would work at the location.
A commissioner asked whether additional traffic controls such as stop signs or signals were planned for the area. Serna replied that the overall Evergreen project already includes lane widenings and other traffic control measures and that the Dutch Bros approval includes conditions and a queuing analysis requiring the applicant to implement traffic management measures for the drive‑through.
Commissioner Carroll moved to adopt the resolutions; Commissioner Pease seconded. The motion was recorded as passing and the clerk noted one abstention; minutes reflect the matter was approved. The transcript records the action as passing "unanimously by all present with 1 abstention noted." The record does not identify the abstaining commissioner by name.
The commission closed the public hearing and approved the project with the stated conditions. The commission adjourned with no additional staff or city attorney comments and noted its next regular meeting will be Tuesday, July 1.
