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Lenoir council approves conditional rezoning for drive‑through coffee with added right‑turn lane
Summary
After residents testified about traffic and safety risks, the Lenoir City Council on May 4 approved CZ‑13 to permit a drive‑through coffee use on Blowing Rock Boulevard, adding a condition that the developer construct a right‑turn lane off Crestline Place; the vote was unanimous.
On May 4, 2026, the Lenoir City Council approved a conditional zoning change known as CZ‑13 to allow a drive‑through coffee use at a commercial parcel on Blowing Rock Boulevard, adding a condition that the developer install an additional right‑turn lane off Crestline Place.
Planning Director Hannah Williams introduced the application submitted by Foresight Group LLC and Track West Developers and said the zoning change would add drive‑through as a permitted use while keeping other B‑6 uses intact. Williams said the conditional zoning would require a 45‑foot building setback from residential zones and a 30‑foot planted buffer, and that the proposal was consistent with the city’s 2045 comprehensive plan designation of neighborhood mixed use. "The conditional zoning district would allow for a drive through," Williams said, and staff recommended approval with tailored development standards.
Developer representatives described changes to the site plan intended to reduce neighborhood impacts. Molly Hillpatrick, representing Foresight Group, said the building would be about 1,000 square feet and "drive‑through only, so they actually don't have guests come inside," and that the team planned to retain existing trees and install four rows of new plantings in the 30‑foot buffer. Track West’s John Locke said the applicant had worked with planning staff to increase setbacks from the current 10 feet to 40 feet at the site to limit intrusion on nearby homes.
Nearby residents urged the council to reject or alter the plan because of traffic and safety concerns. Matt Fulbert, who lives on Seaporte Street, said the business would create long vehicle queues and noise in his backyard. Thad Mullis, who lives on Ellison Place, described repeated near‑misses and crashes along the half‑mile stretch of Highway 321 near the site and warned the addition of a two‑lane drive‑through would add conflict points. "It's gonna be a matter of when and how many," Mullis said, characterizing the likelihood of a serious crash if access is not controlled.
Bridal Pennell, a nearby property owner, told the council she supported commercial use but opposed a drive‑through: "Why do we use drive‑throughs? Because we're in a hurry. That is not a place that anyone should be in a hurry because it is horrible," she said.
Council members weighed growth and neighborhood protection. Several members said the parcel is already commercially zoned and that the conditional zoning package—especially the expanded setback and the 30‑foot buffer—reduced the potential impact compared with other by‑right uses. Planning staff and the developer said they had coordinated with the state Department of Transportation on driveway changes, and the developer proposed adding a right‑turn lane and a service access road to reduce the number of direct access points to Highway 321.
Mayor Pro Tem Perkins moved to approve the ordinance as presented and to add a condition requiring the additional right‑turn lane off Crestline Place; the motion was adopted unanimously.
Next steps: the conditional zoning ordinance (CZ‑13) was approved with the Crestline right‑turn lane codified as a condition of development. The developer and city staff will continue coordination with N.C. Department of Transportation and planning enforcement on buffer and driveway implementation.
