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Upper Saddle River board carries hearing on proposed '7 Brew' drive‑thru at 207 Route 17 South
Summary
The Planning Board continued a public hearing on an application to build a prefabricated 7 Brew drive‑thru with two lanes and a refrigerated shed at 207 Route 17 S; engineers and traffic consultants testified the site can accommodate the operation but the board asked for plan revisions on signage and curb cuts and carried the matter to Feb. 11 for more review.
The Upper Saddle River Planning Board on Jan. 22 carried to Feb. 11 a public hearing on Ramsey Center II LLC’s proposal to build a prefabricated 510‑square‑foot 7 Brew drive‑thru with two drive‑thru lanes, a bypass lane and a 260‑square‑foot refrigerated shed at 207 Route 17 South.
Bruce Whitaker, the applicant’s attorney, and franchise co‑owner Zachary Rosskamm described a compact, drive‑thru‑only operation that would offer no seating and only pre‑packaged muffins as food. Rosskamm said service from site entry to exit averages “approximately three minutes and 30 seconds,” deliveries are made twice weekly and trash collection is scheduled two to three times per week. He said staffing would consist of about 35–40 part‑time employees working staggered shifts.
Consultants testified the lot has constraints — an irregular shape, a stream and a FEMA/NJDEP flood‑hazard line across the rear — and does not extend to the Parkway. Tom Donohue, P.E., said all proposed work is outside the flood area and described a drainage system intended to control stormwater; he also proposed replacing a pylon sign with a monument sign beneath an existing tree. Traffic consultant Nicholas Kennedy, P.E., said Route 17 carries about 100,000 vehicles per day and that a traffic analysis concluded even doubling the expected trip generation would have a negligible network impact; he reiterated the site will be subject to NJDOT review.
Planner Thomas Ricci, P.P., testified the parcel has been vacant about 14 years and argued a small, drive‑thru‑only use is among the few feasible commercial uses for the oddly shaped lot. Ricci said the requested 'c' variances, including signage and a proposed zero‑foot front yard buffer where 10 feet is required, are justified because the proposal would eliminate a long‑vacant property along the Route 17 corridor.
Board members repeatedly focused on safety at ingress and egress, sight lines for right turns on Route 17 and the potential for on‑site backups onto the highway. Whitaker said the applicant will revise the site plan to address the board’s concerns; the board carried the application to the Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026 meeting at 7 p.m. without further notice.
At the meeting’s end resident Richard Loeffler, who identified himself as a trained site planner and landscape architect, urged officials to revisit borough ordinances to protect the town’s vegetation and character as development trends change. Planning Board Attorney Mark Madaio responded that ordinance changes are the purview of the governing body.
The board approved the Jan. 14 minutes earlier in the meeting and adjourned at 9:40 p.m. The application remains pending further plan revisions and agency reviews.
