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Plan Commission approves Starbucks PUD amendment, site plan and two‑lot CSM after traffic and snow‑storage concerns
Summary
After hearing objections from adjacent property owners about traffic, snow storage and access, the commission approved a PUD amendment and final site and architecture for a Starbucks at 101 W. Sunset Drive, with staff conditions to address engineering, fire and utility comments and a requirement that certain documents be recorded before permits are issued.
The Waukesha City Plan Commission on Feb. 26 approved a PUD amendment, final site plan and architectural review, and a two‑lot certified survey map to allow a Starbucks with a drive‑through at 101 W. Sunset Drive (Brighton Square). Staff recommended approval subject to addressing engineering, fire and water utility comments and recording the PUD amendment and certified survey map prior to building permits.
Robin, presenting staff recommendations, said the proposed drive‑through lane showed about 15–16 car stacking—exceeding the city code’s typical expectations—and that the developer sought approval to widen an existing driveway from about 50 feet to roughly 60 feet, a change that requires plan commission and council approval under city code 6.13.4. The site plan includes a left‑turn lane on Sunset Drive and added crosswalks and landscape beds.
Nearby property owner Tarkas Barsamian, whose office at 161 W. Sunset abuts the site, read an email and spoke in person expressing concern that heavy morning and evening traffic on Sunset Drive would complicate access to his building and that substantial landscape islands would limit space available for snow storage. “Making a left hand turn from President’s Plaza to head west on Sunset Drive is difficult and sometimes dangerous,” he said. He also asked whether the city would act if new access patterns created negative impacts.
Resident Heather Jaswowski, who lives behind the site, said pedestrian access through a small passageway is well used by schoolchildren and neighbors and asked how the project would address increased foot traffic, noise from drive‑through speakers, and trash migration toward the neighborhood. Robin and the applicant said the drive‑through would include an automatic volume control that limits the speaker volume at a fixed distance and that the drive‑through ordering point cannot be accessed from the alley.
Commissioners recommended a modest design tweak: pulling back the drive‑through curb and sign to improve maneuverability for larger vehicles and to reduce potential congestion at the drive‑through entrance. The commission added a friendly amendment asking the developer to work with staff on curb alignment to ease turning movements and to discuss snow‑storage plans and tree placement. Chair moved to approve the PUD amendment subject to staff conditions; the commission then approved the final site plan and architectural review and the certified survey map in subsequent motions. All votes on the PUD, site plan and CSM passed unanimously.
Staff said the PUD amendment and CSM must be recorded with the Register of Deeds prior to building permits being issued and that the applicant must address engineering and utility comments before permits can be pulled.
