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Land Use Board approves Starbucks drive‑thru at 5 Route 17 South in Hasbrouck Heights
Summary
The Hasbrouck Heights Land Use Board unanimously approved preliminary and final site plan for a 2,700-square-foot Starbucks drive‑thru at 5 Route 17 South on May 7, 2025, granting signage variances and conditions; no public comment was recorded.
The Borough of Hasbrouck Heights Land Use Board voted unanimously on May 7 to approve preliminary and final site plan PB25-03 to replace the former Houlihan's restaurant with a new 2,700-square-foot Starbucks drive‑thru at 5 Route 17 South (Block 6601, Lot 13).
The application, declared "deemed complete" by the board, calls for a 48‑seat restaurant with operating hours of 5:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Applicant representatives listed in the record included attorney Linda Herlihy, engineer Tony Diggan, architect Aram Piligian Jr., and planner Alex Dougherty. The proposal preserves the other structure on the property and does not change site areas outside the Starbucks development.
Board minutes record several variances and technical concessions approved as part of the application, including relief for pre‑existing bulk conditions, multiple signage variances and an exception for the number and size of menu boards. The application states one menu board will measure 28.2 square feet versus the 25‑square‑foot limit in the ordinance. The applicant also agreed to install additional directional signage, a northbound Route 17 directional sign, and an irrigation system for new plantings. The lighting plan was noted for review six months after opening.
Engineers described on‑site parking as using 9-by-18‑foot spaces where the ordinance requires 9-by-20 feet; the record indicates the applicant’s calculations satisfy the ordinance’s required ratio (36 parking spaces required based on seating and employee counts). The drive‑thru lane was described as having a 15‑car queue and a pass‑thru lane; applicant representatives agreed to install stop bars and signage along crosswalks to address pedestrian safety.
Mayor Ron Kistner moved to approve the application "with conditions," a motion seconded by Kenneth Hampel. Board secretary Pam Grisafe called a roll in which all listed members voted yes; the minutes record the application as approved and the meeting adjourned by unanimous vote at 9:15 p.m. The minutes also note there was no public comment in favor or opposed to the project.
