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LPA recommends approval for Coffee Rush drive-through in Stewart Landings with color and queuing conditions
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Summary
The Local Planning Agency recommended the City Commission approve a major amendment to Stewart Landings CPUD allowing a 470 sq ft Coffee Rush kiosk with two drive-through lanes and a requested deviation to queuing standards, while asking the applicant to adjust exterior color to an earth tone and confirming technical studies (traffic, light, stormwater) are included.
The Local Planning Agency voted to recommend approval of a major amendment to the Stewart Landings commercial PUD to allow a 470-square-foot Coffee Rush drive-through coffee kiosk adjacent to the existing Burger King at 3991 Southeast Federal Highway.
Development Director Jody Kugler told the board the site is a 1.27-acre parcel that previously included approvals for a 4,700-square-foot medical building; the current petition reduces the previously approved footprint and requests a deviation from drive-through queuing standards in the City of Stuart’s land development code (seeking eight queuing spaces measured from order box to lane end instead of the 10-space standard). Kugler reported that a traffic impact study prepared by Mackenzie Engineering and Planning (dated 01/24/2025) and the city transportation consultant found overall trip generation will decrease compared with the prior approved intensity and that city and Martin County utilities have capacity for the project. The staff report also documented required tree-mitigation payment of $264,463.50 to the city tree fund.
Operator Ron Yost described Coffee Rush as a locally owned, app-forward drive-through coffee operator that typically uses a 400-square-foot prototype and emphasizes app ordering and “line busters” instead of a traditional order box; he said the menu board functions as a display rather than an order kiosk. Jeff Williams, head of development for Conover South (the shopping-center owner), supported the tenant and said the use is permitted under the PUD and reduces overall trip generation compared with the former approval.
Neighbors asked about early-morning noise, hours of operation, light spill and vendor deliveries. Staff and applicant said no external noise generators (order-box loudspeakers) are proposed, that a photometric light study is included in the packet, and that most deliveries occur before opening. Board members asked for modest architectural adjustments; the applicant agreed to change the primary stucco field color to a complimentary earth tone to better match the plaza. The board then voted in favor of forwarding a recommendation of approval to the City Commission with that color adjustment and the queuing deviation noted.
The LPA recommendation will be forwarded to the City Commission for final action and to form binding conditions in the development order.
