Ventura DRC sends McKenna Coffee drive‑through back for revisions, citing pedestrian and circulation problems

The Design Review Committee on Monday sent back a proposed McKenna Coffee drive‑through at 2148 East Harbor Boulevard, saying the application is incomplete and raising concerns about pedestrian and vehicle circulation.

Planning staff described the proposal as a 2,000‑square‑foot café with a dual drive‑through, a 1,260‑square‑foot covered outdoor patio, roughly 34 indoor and 38 outdoor seats and operating hours of 6:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week. "The item before you is project 24‑0551, the McKenna Coffee project located at 2148 East Harbor Boulevard," planning staff said in the presentation.

Why it matters: Commissioners said the site plan and packet do not yet allow the committee to assess whether pedestrian routes and internal circulation are safe or code‑compliant. Chair Adelman said she was "having difficulty with" reviewing the design because building sections and a roof plan were missing. Several members said the current drawings leave unclear whether pedestrians walking from parking would be routed across planting beds or a marked path.

Architect Josh Cardenas told the committee the design is intended to meet the traffic and queuing study requirements: the submitted site plan shows stacking for 25 vehicles while the traffic analysis requires a minimum of 23. "The way that it's set up is to accommodate stacking... a maximum of 25," Cardenas said, adding the layout follows the project design criteria. He also said two ADA‑required van‑accessible spaces and hatched crosswalks are provided.

Public speakers urged the committee to take a cautious approach. "I think it's time that we discontinue approving all drive‑thrus," one commenter said, citing traffic and air‑quality concerns. Another public speaker, Amy Cherry, asked why the staff report recommended removing several palms that are part of Harbor Boulevard's theme streets and questioned whether lighting would be dark‑sky compliant.

Owner Steven Sabani defended long family ownership of the site and said bird nesting has not been a historical problem: "We've... never set spikes. We never really had a seagull problem whatsoever," he told the committee.

What the DRC required: By unanimous roll call, the committee approved a motion to continue the project to a date certain (May 6) and asked the applicant to provide: roof plans and building sections; a clearer site section; a written explanation and/or study that demonstrates safe, designated pedestrian access (and consideration of a secondary pathway or enhanced primary pathway across the lot); a study of vehicular circulation to determine whether parking or aisle configurations could be adjusted so the building can be set back further from Harbor Boulevard; a plan showing how bird deterrence will be handled (the committee specifically asked staff to include a note discouraging bird spikes); night‑sky‑compliant exterior lighting; and a reassessment of landscape choices (including relocating or removing the strawberry tree near the pick‑up area and avoiding jacaranda directly in the pedestrian corner because of littering concerns).

Vote and next step: Vice Chair Dunbar made the motion to return on a date certain; Chair Adelman seconded. The clerk recorded Member Hsu — Yes; Vice Chair Dunbar — Yes; Chair Adelman — Yes. The motion passed 3‑0. Staff and the applicant indicated the next available DRC agendas are May 6 or June 3; the committee preferred the May 6 date if the revised materials could be provided in two weeks.

The committee closed the public forum and said staff will include the motion and specifics in the transmittal to the final decision authority. The item will return to the DRC on the date set for additional review.