Planning Commission approves rezoning to allow 7 Brew drive-through at 3919 Colonel Lehi Highway

The Beavercreek Planning Commission voted 4–0 to approve PUD25-3, a rezoning application to allow a 7 Brew drive-through at 3919 Colonel Lehi Highway.

The application, filed by Commercial Site Acquisitions, Inc., sought to rezone a 0.64-acre property from B-2 (Community Business) to a CPUD (Commercial Planned Unit Development). Applicant representative Jonathan Woker, a planner with Bridal Del Clarion, presented a conceptual plan that would remove the existing used-car sales building and construct a small coffee shop with two drive-through lanes, 12 parking spaces, and site circulation proposing entry from Germany Lane and no new access to Colonel Lehi Highway. "We have no objections to the proposed staff conditions, recommending approval," Woker said during his presentation.

City planner Colin Carville told commissioners staff recommended approval and that the proposed PUD mirrors standards used recently for other nearby commercial rezonings. Carville said staff excluded a number of uses found in the broader B-4 Highway Business District because the parcel is small and oddly shaped, and recommended six staff conditions tied to the rezoning.

During discussion commissioners raised traffic and access concerns, noting the proximity of a traffic signal near the property and asking when a formal traffic study would be required. An unidentified commissioner asked whether the applicant had performed preliminary traffic counts; Woker said no formal traffic study had been done and that 7 Brew expects the new location to balance some customer volume from an existing, higher-volume North Fairfield Road store. Carville and staff said detailed access, stacking and signal impacts will be evaluated at the site-plan (phase 2) stage by city engineering.

Commissioners also discussed utilities and corridor improvements, asking whether burying overhead utilities could be considered during development; staff said that would be an engineering evaluation at the later site-plan stage.

Because of the parcel’s small size, the commission moved to amend Exhibit A (the list of permitted uses) to strike a set of uses deemed incompatible with 0.64 acres, including bowling alleys, funeral services, commercial truck driving schools, skating rinks and towing services. Commissioners debated whether to retain language covering "department stores, including discount stores," with some members noting that a very small-format discount store could conceivably fit, and ultimately the adopted amendment narrowed permitted uses while retaining some flexibility consistent with prior nearby approvals.

The commission then adopted the rezoning resolution as amended. The final recorded vote on PUD25-3 was: Mister Meyer — yes; Mister Fountain — yes; Mister Jones — yes; Mister Self — yes. The approval is for rezoning only; staff and the applicant reiterated that a separate site-plan review will follow if the rezoning is affirmed by City Council.

Next steps: if City Council approves the rezoning, the applicant will return with a detailed site plan and engineering review that will address access, stacking, stormwater and other technical issues.