The Downers Grove Village Council will hold its first formal reading of a Dutch Bros. Coffee drive-thru proposal Tuesday, Aug. 4, at 7 p.m. at the Civic Center, 850 Curtiss St. The meeting marks the last structured opportunity for residents to weigh in before the council decides whether to advance the project to a second reading and final vote.

The Oregon-based coffee chain wants to build a drive-thru at the intersection of Ogden and Saratoga avenues. The Downers Grove Planning Commission voted 5-1 on July 7 to recommend denial, citing traffic and pedestrian safety concerns. More than 800 residents have since signed a Change.org petition opposing the development, according to Patch, up from roughly 700 at the time of the commission vote. Ninety-five residents submitted written objections to village staff before that July 7 hearing.

The council holds final say. The proposal requires a planned unit development approval, a special use permit, and zoning variances.

What commissioners said

At the July 7 hearing, Commissioner Jeanne Eberhardt called the lot "tight" and "landlocked," saying she would need a different traffic-routing solution before she could support the plan. Commissioner Katherine Frankovic said she could not conclude the project would not be detrimental to community health and safety.

Chair Michael Rickard cast the lone vote in favor, arguing traffic problems would ease after an initial four-to-six-week opening rush.

Residents raised alarms

Dr. Don Provenzale, a dentist whose office sits at 4336 Saratoga Ave., told commissioners he had visited the Dutch Bros. in Melrose Park and watched cars snake two-by-two through the entire parking lot.

"I cannot envision any way in which we're not going to have gridlock," Provenzale said at the July 7 hearing.

Scott Richards, a resident near Oak Tree Towers, noted that school buses exit a nearby school lot and stack up at the Ogden Avenue light. Resident MaryKay Holmes pointed out that a senior center and the FISH Pantry food bank operate near the proposed site.

Supporters cite economic fit

Brian Gay, president and CEO of the Downers Grove Economic Development Corporation, spoke in favor of the application at the July 7 hearing. Gay said the EDC had worked with the applicant to vet the site and argued that lighted intersections along Ogden Avenue are scarce, making the corner a natural fit for a drive-thru business. He said the site plan keeps all vehicle stacking on-site and predicted that by the time the Downers Grove location opens, eight other Chicagoland Dutch Bros. stores should be operating, easing initial demand.

What happens next

The Tuesday, Aug. 4, first reading does not produce a binding vote. If the council advances the proposal, a second reading and final vote would follow at a subsequent Tuesday meeting. No date for that vote has been scheduled.

Residents who cannot attend in person can submit comments through the village's rEmarks form at downers.us. The form opens at 5 p.m. the Friday before a council meeting and closes at noon on the day of the meeting. The council meets on the first, second, and third Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m.