Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
Planning commission approves Dutch Brothers site plan with queuing-management condition
Loading...
Summary
The City of Riverside Planning Commission approved a major final site plan and a separate parking‑waiver for a proposed Dutch Brothers drive‑through at 115 Woodman Drive, adding a condition that the developer work with city staff to produce a 'plan B' ensuring on‑site stacking does not overflow onto Woodman Drive.
The City of Riverside Planning Commission on April 15 approved a site plan and parking waiver for a proposed 946‑square‑foot coffee kiosk at 115 Woodman Drive, adding a condition that the developer and city staff produce an enforceable contingency plan to prevent customer queuing from spilling onto Woodman Drive.
The action followed staff’s presentation of revised plans and a traffic memo showing on‑site capacity and internal queuing. Planning staff recommended approval with standard conditions and asked the commission to add a requirement that the developer provide a plan to address excessive queuing and stacking that could interfere with public roadways. "Staff findings did not change at all really. It is consistent with our 1 Riverside comprehensive plan," staff told the commission.
Traffic engineer Gina Balsamo summarized the memo for the commission, citing standard trip‑generation metrics and operator data: "The ITE data shows about 43 vehicles during the AM peak hour," she said, and noted Dutch Brothers' site data showed about "49 transactions per hour," which she said is comparable. Balsamo said the on‑site layout accommodates about 20 vehicles with additional space for queued cars before any impact to Woodman Drive and that the studied intersections are projected to operate at acceptable levels under conservative growth assumptions.
Commissioners pressed for more granular peak‑hour breakdowns and raised operational concerns. Chair Denning and other commissioners noted nearby businesses, Youthland Academy and a dance school at the same complex, and the potential for school‑bus impacts. Denning said she wanted "an actual plan put into place, a formal plan, to make sure that we're trying to keep the traffic off of that Main Road and from blocking the other businesses there." The applicant and site civil engineer said they will coordinate with the landlord, work with city staff on alternatives and — if needed during openings — arrange for law enforcement to help manage circulation.
After deliberation, the commission adopted the staff recommendation and added a condition requiring the developer to work with city staff to establish a plan to ensure queuing and stacking do not extend onto Woodman Drive. The motion carried on a roll call vote with all voting members recorded in favor.
The commission separately voted to approve the requested parking waiver under the same conditions. Staff advised that the developer must submit a final plan with the noted drainage details, updated sidewalk/tree‑lawn layout and an updated lighting plan before construction approvals are issued. The commission asked staff to monitor the developer’s coordination and enforcement of the queuing plan as part of post‑approval follow up.
