Planning commission approves 7 Brew drive-through at Washington Street with queuing, lighting conditions

The Middletown Planning and Zoning Commission voted unanimously to approve a special exception and site plan for a 510-square-foot, drive-through-only 7 Brew beverage stand to be built at 733 Washington Street and 35 Boston Road in the MXC zone.

The commission approved the application with two conditions: the applicant must submit a queuing-management plan to city staff for general operations and adhere to that plan, and all lighting — including branding LED elements — must shut off at least one hour after closing. The motion was made and seconded during the meeting and passed by voice vote.

Why it mattered: The proposal converts two small parcels (combined roughly 0.5 acre) into a drive-through-only retail beverage stand with a two-lane double-queue system designed to hold 23 cars (10 in the inner lane, 13 in the outer lane). Presenters said the building footprint will be 510 square feet with an additional 250-square-foot remote storage area, no interior seating, and employee-only parking. The applicant cited about eight staff on an average shift and said the concept typically hires high-school and college students.

During public comment, residents raised concerns about removal of established trees, increased impervious surface and stormwater runoff, litter from disposable packaging, vehicle idling, and potential backups affecting emergency-vehicle access to nearby Heritage Commons. Pete Smith, a Middletown resident, urged the commission to preserve mature trees and questioned whether the town benefits from another coffee-oriented business in an area with multiple existing competitors. Howard Thode said he worried about ambulance access during peak queues.

Applicant and staff response: The project team (attorney Richard Corella, franchisee Rohan Kapoor, and site engineer Josh Klein of Stonefield Engineering) said the site had previously required variances and that the design review board recommended the proposed landscaping and color scheme. Klein said the team plans to plant 11 street trees (20 counting evergreen screening trees) and shrubs as screening; stormwater controls include an on-site water-quality unit to treat first flush runoff, and lighting will be downward-facing, full-cutoff fixtures at 2,700 kelvin. The traffic-impact and queuing analysis — based on field counts and DOT signal timings — found peak trips under commonly used thresholds (presenters said peak trips were below 50), that 50th-percentile northbound queues did not reach the driveway (138–177 feet), and that the 95th-percentile queue can reach 180–245 feet in some peak conditions but that the signal cycles would allow the queue to clear.

Residents asked whether walk-ups or bicyclists could be served; the applicant said the model is drive-through first but that a walk-up window technically exists and staff would not refuse service to a walker or bicyclist. The applicant also described queuing-management practices for openings and large events, including extra staffing, limited-opening menus, and coordination with local public safety if additional traffic control is needed.

Quotable: "Trees are not just interchangeable landscape elements," resident Pete Smith said, urging the commission to consider established vegetation. Josh Klein said the design includes "11 trees including the street trees — 20 trees if you include the evergreen trees used as screening elements — and then shrubs as well" to provide screening and replacement plantings.

What the approval requires next: The motion that carried requires the applicant to file a queuing-management plan with city staff and to adhere to the lighting-hours condition. The applicant confirmed willingness to provide a written summary of the queuing plan and to coordinate it with public safety. The permit and any required lot-merger and permitting steps will follow after those conditions are satisfied.