Zoning board approves variance for 7 Brew drive‑through at West Main site

The Kalamazoo Zoning Board of Appeals on July 10 approved a variance allowing 7 Brew to develop a drive‑through coffee shop at 4702 West Main despite not meeting the ordinance’s five‑foot landscaping buffer between parking and the front property line.

The board accepted staff’s analysis that a preexisting 24‑foot access drive — installed to accommodate fire‑apparatus circulation for the adjoining Chick‑fil‑A — creates a narrow residual strip between curb and property line. In a motion reading the finding of fact, a board member noted 14 mailed notices and no public responses; a public hearing was held and no commenters spoke for or against the request.

Ella Ackerman, civil engineer for HFA, representing the applicant, described the project as a compact, drive‑through‑only building with two lanes and said the site’s configuration makes the standard five‑foot buffer impracticable. “The fire marshal said that there could be no adjustments to this 24 foot aisle, and it's there for safety,” Ackerman said, explaining why the project seeks the variance.

Staff recommended approval, saying the special circumstance is the preexisting access lane that divides the site and was not created by the applicant. Staff quantified the residual planting area as approximately 12–18 inches where the buffer would be required. Board discussion emphasized that the constraint predates the applicant and that denying the variance could make redevelopment of the lot impractical.

After accepting the finding of fact by voice vote, the board moved to approve the variance in a roll‑call and the chair declared the request approved unanimously.

The decision allows the applicant to proceed through the city’s site‑plan and permitting process with the variance in place; the board’s packet and the hearing notice were cited as the basis for the finding of fact.