Aurora zoning committee approves Scooter’s drive-through plan and final subdivision for 1329 North Lake Street

The BZ and E Committee approved a plan package Oct. 29 to allow a Scooter’s Coffee drive-through and a second small retail tenant at 1329 North Lake Street, while preserving an adjacent state-run transitional residential facility on the same parcel.

Planner Steven Bravo told the committee the proposal is packaged as an ordinance and two resolutions covering a conditional use plan development, a revision of the final plat and a final plan. “It’ll be a new multi tenant drive through for a Scooter’s Coffee,” Bravo said, adding the existing transitional residential facility will remain and be incorporated into the plan to remove nonconformities.

The committee was shown a site plan that splits the property into Parcel A (the multi-tenant drive-through building) and Parcel B (the transitional facility). Staff said a five-foot sidewalk will be built along the Lake Street frontage to connect to the Northern Lights bike path. Bravo said the project includes three access points that will be widened and that staff reviewed the design with the city’s traffic engineer, who “didn’t have...too many concerns” about increased traffic at the intersection.

Eric Carlson, the project architect with CO Group, described the Scooter’s unit as primarily a drive-through operation with a small footprint — the freestanding model is roughly 600 square feet — and said peak staffing is expected to be about five employees. “It’s really primarily drive through,” Carlson said, noting the franchisee is pursuing several local sites.

On parking and future use, staff said the multi-tenant building’s minimum parking requirement is 19 spaces for the entire structure (one space per 425 square feet was cited for the transitional facility), and that the plan’s parking layout is intended to limit easy conversion to higher-density residential. Setback reductions were also proposed to accommodate the layout (front setback reduced from 30 to 10 feet; rear from 8 to 6; southern property line from 8 to 0).

Landscaping conditions recommended by the planning commission remain in place: canopy trees along Sullivan Road and Lake Street spaced 33 feet on center, with some shrub reductions and replanting to correct an earlier trees-to-shrub calculation. Carlson said the petitioner expects to complete the revised landscaping plan in about a week.

The petitioner also said the property is in transaction and that Magmio Capital — associated with Rishi Shah — is expected to complete purchase of the site at the end of the month.

Procedurally, the committee voted on the ordinance and final plan. The motion to approve ordinance 25-0625 (conditional use plan development and Scooter’s plan) was made by Alderwoman Patty Smith and seconded by Alderwoman Juan Garza; the committee voice-voted in favor and the motion carried. Later, the committee moved to approve resolution 25-0627 (final plan for Scooter’s Subdivision) with the same mover and seconder and recorded approval. A separate vote for resolution 25-0626 (revision of the final plat) is listed on the agenda but a distinct vote is not recorded in the transcript.

The committee had no public testimony on the item and adjourned at 4:28 p.m.