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Planning Commission forwards 7 Brew drive‑through rezoning to trustees after 5‑1 recommendation; members press for architectural changes
Summary
The Planning Commission voted 5‑1 to recommend rezoning two Appleton Avenue parcels to allow a two‑lane 7 Brew drive‑through and approved a parking agreement enabling use of adjacent bank parking, but several members urged a stronger architectural treatment and landscaping before final approvals.
The Planning Commission on April 8 voted to recommend that the Village Board rezone two parcels at N82W15449 Appleton Avenue to allow a 7 Brew drive‑through coffee shop and to waive the 30‑day waiting period so the matter can advance to the board for a May public hearing.
Staff and the applicant said the two parcels together total just under an acre but cannot be combined now because the western parcel lies in Tax Increment District 9; the county requires the TID be closed before a certified survey map can combine them. Planner Amy Bennett said the applicant sought the OC‑5 Commercial Service overlay in addition to the existing C‑1 Neighborhood Business zoning to legally accommodate the drive‑through configuration.
What was proposed: engineering drawings presented to the commission show a primary coffee building of about 530 square feet and a separate 250‑square‑foot cooler structure. The proposal includes two drive‑through lanes wrapping the building, site stacking the applicant said can hold more than 20 vehicles, and a shared parking agreement for the adjacent bank lot to meet on‑site parking requirements.
Commission and public comments: several commissioners expressed concerns about the building’s visual character. Commissioner Paul Curtis called the concept “ugly as sin” during public discussion and asked the Architectural Control Board to push for a softer roofline and different exterior materials. Others suggested removing or toning the blue accent lighting, adding masonry or faux roof elements and reorienting the cooler door so it faces the interior service area rather than the street.
Applicant response: Eric Drazkowski of Excel Engineering, who prepared the site plans, said the proposed building is a standardized 7 Brew prefabricated unit but that the franchise offers alternate exterior skins and that local options such as masonry facades are possible. Tommy Pennington, identified as the operator, said awnings serve operational functions—cover for staff who take orders on iPads and weather protection for walk‑up or cooler access—and explained the company’s operations model: staff take orders using mobile tablets near the car, and the applicant said average service time from entry to exit is under three minutes.
Formal actions and vote: the commission voted to waive the 30‑day waiting period and recommend rezoning to the Village Board (vote recorded as 5 in favor, 1 opposed). The commission also approved a parking agreement—staff recommended a condition that the agreement be recorded with the Waukesha County Register of Deeds.
Why it matters: the project would add a new drive‑through concept to a commercial node along Appleton Avenue and requires both zoning overlay approval and certification of a parking agreement because portions of the site's parking cross parcel lines. Commissioners said they were comfortable advancing the rezoning but asked staff to flag the design concerns for ACB’s review and for the Village Board’s consideration.
