Community Board 11 backs no‑objection for Starbucks drive‑through at 2550 (BSA special permit) after traffic questions
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Summary
Applicants asked Community Board 11 for a letter of "no objection" to a Board of Standards and Appeals special permit for a Starbucks drive‑through at a site described in the application as 2550 Eli Avenue/1920 East Gun Hill Road. The board voted to issue a no‑objection recommendation after discussion and a traffic study follow-up was requested.
An applicant seeking a Board of Standards and Appeals special permit to operate a Starbucks drive‑through at a site identified in the application as "2550 Eli Avenue, AKA 1920 East Gun Hill Road, Bronx, New York (BSA case cited)" asked Community Board 11 on June 30 for the board's recommendation.
The applicant representative said the siting would include an 18‑car queuing lane and pointed to existing parking availability on the site. Board members raised traffic and safety questions: several asked whether a traffic study had examined the interaction of a drive‑through queue with the nearby expressway ramps and with an adjacent seniors'facility; one member referenced congestion observed at an Eastchester Road Starbucks and asked whether the same pattern could occur at the Gun Hill location.
The applicant said an initial study had been submitted with the BSA application and that follow-up traffic analysis requested by the BSA was under way. Multiple board members asked for the final traffic materials; the applicant stated they would provide subsequent studies to the community board before the BSA makes a final determination.
After a short discussion and a five‑minute time limit on the presentation, the full board moved to a vote on a motion of "no objection" to the project as presented to the BSA. Several members abstained and at least one member recorded an objection on the floor; the chair announced the motion passed. The applicant stated they would return the final traffic analyses and asked the board to note its recommendation for the BSA record.
Why it matters: Drive‑through facilities can change vehicle circulation patterns and have direct neighborhood impact where queuing may interact with local intersections or highway ramps. The BSA special‑permit process requires community board comment; board members sought additional traffic evidence before final BSA action.
Follow up: Applicant will submit the additional traffic analysis requested by the BSA to the community board; the board recommendation will be included in the BSA record.
