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Planning board approves 7 Brew drive‑thru at 207 Route 17 South with sign and lighting conditions
Summary
The board approved a use variance and related site modifications for Ramsey Center II LLC (operating as 7 Brew) at 207 Route 17 South, imposing conditions on monument sign location (4 ft from right-of-way and side-yard) and requiring accent/under illumination to be turned off after close and after employees leave.
The Borough of Upper Saddle River Planning Board on May 13 approved a use variance and site modifications for Ramsey Center II LLC, which proposes a 7 Brew drive‑thru coffee shop at 207 Route 17 South, subject to conditions governing signage and lighting.
Attorney Bruce Whitaker summarized revisions since the Jan. 22 hearing, including a change in exterior color, an employees-only parking designation, relocation of a freestanding sign, and a plan to have police present for the grand opening. Thomas Donohue, P.E., described site-plan edits: removal of a front center island curb, addition of one-way and 'Do Not Enter' signs, removal of a pylon sign in favor of a monument sign (the applicant initially sought a 0‑ft front-yard setback), elimination of a dedicated EV parking space, minor grading changes, and revised lighting intended to reduce spillage onto adjacent properties.
Traffic engineer Nicholas Kennedy testified that placing the monument sign at the ordinance-required setback would reduce visibility because of mature trees on adjacent property; he stated "safe visibility is 0 ft. setback," and said 4 feet is the maximum offset that would still allow the sign to be visible for safe access. Shunori Ramanathan, a principal of the local 7 Brew franchise, testified that all lighting would be indirect, that the rear of the building would not be lit, and that both accent and under-lighting would be turned off after the close of business and after employees leave the site.
Board chair Mr. Donato summarized the conditions the board set for approval: the 7 Brew logo will be displayed on a single-post, breakaway monument sign conforming to size and height limits and positioned 4 feet back from the right-of-way and 4 feet from the side-yard property line; accent and under-lighting must be turned off after closing and after employees have cleared the site. Mr. Jacobs moved to approve the application with those conditions; Mr. Putrino seconded and the motion passed by roll call (Ayes: 7).
The approval allows the applicant to proceed with the site modifications as conditioned by the board; the applicant agreed to coordinate overnight lighting with the police department for security concerns.
