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Commission approves 7 Brew drive‑through on S. 20th with height deviation and landscape enhancements
Summary
The commission approved a prefabricated 7 Brew drive‑through at 3702 S. 20th St., granting a deviation from a 22‑foot minimum building height (building will be ~19'3.5") and conditioning site approval on a Board of Zoning Appeals parking variance.
The City Plan Commission on May 19 approved plans for a single‑lane double drive‑through 7 Brew coffee shop at 3702 South 20th Street and granted a deviation from the South 20th/Howard Development Incentive Zone (DIZ) building‑height standard.
Kristen Connolly, principal planner with the Department of City Development, said the 530‑square‑foot prefabricated building meets the overlay’s design standards in materials and siting except for the minimum height rule. “The proposed building will be approximately just shy of 19 and a half feet tall, so about 2 and a half feet short of that minimum,” Connolly said. Staff recommended approval of both the site plan and the deviation after the applicant added pedestrian amenities and other design enhancements.
Eric Traskowski, civil engineer with Excel Engineering and project lead for the applicant, explained the height deviation is driven by the building’s modular shipping constraints. “The standard building that comes shipped is 19 feet 3 and a half inches,” he said, adding that the structures are a brand standard and arrive in sections sized for legal transport.
Applicant and owner‑operator Tommy Pennington described operational features designed to reduce drive‑through queuing and neighborhood impacts: staff take orders on tablets (no speaker box), a walk‑up window will serve pedestrians, the site includes two picnic tables and a bike rack, and front landscaping has been increased from the standard five‑foot minimum to a 10‑foot buffer. The plans reduce impervious surface in parts of the lot and add pervious paving for several northern stalls.
Because the redevelopment retains parking tied to existing lease agreements, the project requires a variance from the Board of Zoning Appeals to exceed the maximum allowed parking for a building of this size; the commission conditioned final project approval on BOZA action. Connolly noted the applicant worked with DPW on circulation and queuing to keep any stacking within the site and off public rights‑of‑way.
Alderman Scott Spiker said he had no objection and praised coordination among the applicant and city staff. Commissioners approved the site plan (file 250,040) conditioned on BOZA approval and granted the height deviation (file 250,041).
