Planning commission approves Seven Brew drive‑thru at 706 N. State Street with conditions

The Lindon City Planning Commission on June 23 approved site plan approval for a 510‑square‑foot Seven Brew coffee shop with a two‑lane drive‑thru at 706 North State Street, contingent on a set of engineering and design conditions.

Staff presentation noted that the proposal meets the commercial general zone standards and most design requirements but lacks a projecting window sill and orients primary employee and walk‑up access to the side rather than directly onto State Street. Staff also flagged a drainage ditch on the east property line that may be in Pleasant Grove City's jurisdiction and said the property lies in a floodplain; before final approval the developer must obtain a flood‑plain development permit and, if the ditch lies on the site, pipe it and provide appropriate slopes to allow downstream connections.

"Overall, staff finds that the project generally complies with the requirements of the commercial general zone and commercial design standards," Michael (city planning staff) told commissioners, while asking for guidance about façade and entrance orientation.

The applicant's representative said Seven Brew's prototype is 99.9% drive‑thru and that pedestrian service is not a typical focus, though the company will allow occasional walk‑ups and said it would meet whatever design requirement the commission adopts. "We are 99.9% drive‑thru," the representative said, describing operational constraints and a plan to use iPads to take walk‑up orders and to place picnic tables for occasional pedestrian customers.

Commissioners debated whether to require a front‑facing walk‑up window or accept the side entrance and nearby tables as a small plaza that satisfies the city's commercial design intent. Several commissioners suggested a simple sliding door or a window modification could meet the façade requirement without substantially altering the applicant's equipment layout.

The commission approved the site plan by voice vote with the following conditions summarized from the motion and staff report: continued engineering corrections with city staff; compliance with Lyndon City development specifications; final exterior materials to meet commercial design standards; completion of a flood‑plain development permit; submission of the UDOT access permit before final approval; coordination with Lindon City and Pleasant Grove engineering to determine the ditch location and pipe or design slopes if the ditch lies on the site; compliance with applicable bonding requirements; placement of tables to establish a small plaza near the customer/employee entrance; and satisfaction of all items in the staff report.

Commissioners and staff also asked the developer to secure any required cross‑access easements and confirmed that final civil review and permits (including any UDOT access permit) must be provided before a building permit is issued. The applicant will work with city staff to resolve the drainage and flood‑plain requirements before final sign‑off.

Next steps: the developer will provide final civil plans, the required permits and the flood‑plain documentation to city staff for final administrative approval and permitting.