Planning commission approves drive‑thru coffee shop at 1035 Sebastian Boulevard, contingent on county access easement

The City of Sebastian Planning and Zoning Commission voted unanimously April 2 to approve a site plan and conditional‑use permit for a drive‑thru coffee shop at 1035 Sebastian Boulevard, contingent on county approval of an access easement to the adjacent North County Library.

Staff recommended approval after reviewing site layout and overlay‑district requirements. Community Development staff said the 835‑square‑foot shop would meet the County Road 512 overlay’s landscaping and open‑space rules, provide 10 parking spaces (two more than required), and keep impervious area below the 80% limit. A traffic report submitted with the application estimated about 358 daily trips, under the county’s 400‑trip threshold for a full impact study.

Ryan McClean of MBV Engineering, the applicant’s agent, said the franchise would operate primarily as a drive‑thru and that the developer is proposing a connection to the North County Library to meet the conditional‑use criterion requiring two points of ingress and egress. Jim Man of Community Development told commissioners the access easement is owned by Indian River County and must be approved by the county; staff recommended conditioning approval on that county action.

Residents who spoke during the public comment period raised concerns about peak‑hour traffic, seasonal variation in counts (the study used counts taken in August), queuing and U‑turn maneuvers on SR‑512 as nearby commercial development opens, noise from order speakers, dumpster odors and delivery truck idling. Several residents live on Tradewinds Way, directly behind the proposed site, and asked whether screening, fence and planting plans would prevent noise and odor impacts.

Staff and the applicant told the commission the proposed design includes a rear, enclosed dumpster, a code‑compliant 10‑foot landscape buffer and an opaque fence along the rear property line, and that the business model would rely on hand‑ordering and non‑interactive menu devices rather than a two‑way loudspeaker. Staff also said county traffic engineering approved the methodology used for the study and that traffic impacts from future development on the adjoining parcel would be addressed at the time that parcel proposes its own plan.

A commissioner moved to approve the site plan and conditional‑use permit with the staff condition; the motion passed on a roll call vote with all present members voting yes (Miss Cottonberg; Miss Kinchen; Miss Laruso; Mr. Reno; Mr. Carter; Mr. Garton).

The approval is contingent on Indian River County’s formal approval of the access easement to the North County Library; the commission did not approve final building permits until the city receives evidence the county has granted the required access.