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Planning board approves 7 Brew drive-through at former KFC with multiple variances and conditions
Summary
The Hampton Township Planning Board approved G7B LLC’s application to replace the vacant KFC with a 510 sq ft 7 Brew drive-through, granting sign, parking and lighting variances and adding conditions including employee-parking signage, a Fire Department letter as noted in the resolution, and lighting cutoffs after closing.
The Hampton Township Planning Board voted unanimously April 16 to approve G7B LLC’s application to demolish the former Kentucky Fried Chicken and build a 510-square-foot 7 Brew drive-through with a 260-square-foot refrigerated shed.
The board accepted testimony from applicant operations witness Zachery Rosskamm, who described the proposal as “a drive-through shop serving coffee, teas, lemonades, milkshakes, flavored sodas, energy drinks, chai, matcha, etc.” He said the store would operate from 5:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and until 11:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, employ six to eight people during peak shifts, and receive two to three deliveries and the same number of trash/recycling pickups per week.
The board heard civil and traffic engineering evidence. Lindsey Reist of Stonefield Engineering presented site plans showing two oversized drive-through lanes with a 23-vehicle queue, employee-only parking including one ADA space, a relocated trash enclosure fully on Lot 30.04, and landscaping to screen the drive-through. Traffic expert Nicholas Kennedy said the store would not increase total trips compared with the former KFC but would shift peak activity to the morning commute; he told the board the 23-car queue should be sufficient for expected demand.
Planner Matt Flynn argued the project fits the existing shopping-center context and that some relief is reasonable for a small standalone drive-through in a large plaza. The applicant requested multiple C variances and waivers: increased total sign area and additional façade signs beyond what the ordinance permits; a reduction in required center-wide parking (the center will remain short of the zoning requirement even after the project); a narrower one-way lane adjacent to ADA parking; parking-space dimension variances to match the existing plaza; and a variance for lighting intensity in limited locations.
Engineer Dave Simmons and board members discussed specifics and added conditions. The approval includes a requirement that the applicant provide or obtain a Fire Department letter regarding emergency access (a waiver for that item is noted in the resolution), install employee-parking signage, repair or replace faded mall signage, and ensure site lighting is shut off one hour after closing (with exceptions for security or existing pole lights). The final plans must incorporate revisions requested by Engineer Simmons, rooftop HVAC will be screened, and the trash enclosure location change will be added to the final plan set. The motion to approve was made by Mr. Sivulich and seconded by Mr. Gunderman and carried by roll call: Mr. Daniels, Mr. Dooley, Mr. Gunderman, Mr. Gurick, Mrs. McCarthy, Mr. Santora, Mr. Sivulich, Mr. Walther and Mr. Ambrosi voted yes.
Next steps: the applicant will submit final revised plans reflecting the board’s conditions and the Fire Department correspondence noted in the resolution. The Board also recorded that if sidewalks are required later on Route 206, the applicant agreed to install sidewalks on its lot as a condition tied to any broader sidewalk requirement.
