The Downers Grove Village Council delayed its decision on a contested Dutch Bros. drive-thru coffee shop at Ogden and Saratoga avenues Tuesday, Aug. 18, pushing the vote to the Sept. 8 council meeting after two commissioners said they weren't ready to decide. No vote was taken.

The delay extends a fight that has drawn more than 800 petition signatures from residents worried about traffic and pedestrian safety near Herrick Middle School. The proposal, which the village's Plan and Zoning Commission voted 5-1 to recommend denying on July 6, has now spanned that hearing and two council sessions with no resolution.

Commissioner Rob Roe told colleagues he visited the Dutch Bros. location in Melrose Park on a weekday morning and sat in a line of 16 to 17 cars. "I didn't move for 5 minutes," Roe said. "It took me 16 minutes to get through the drive-thru." He reported the same experience on a Friday afternoon around 3:45 p.m. and said he needed more information from the developer before voting.

Commissioner Tammy Sarver, who said she had initially supported the project, told the council the site's proximity to two schools on a busy stretch of Ogden Avenue left her with safety concerns she could not set aside.

Mayor Bob Barnett then suggested the delay, noting some commissioners might support the proposal if it met certain conditions.

New safety provisions on the table

Commissioner Chris Gilmartin said the developer had added pedestrian safety provisions since the first reading on Aug. 4, including speed bumps, crosswalks and signage. He also said an agreement now allows the village's community director to oversee lot capacity and demand changes within the first six months of operation.

Gilmartin added that Herrick Middle School proposed opening its gates a half-hour earlier for pickup to ease congestion. He suggested a summer opening to avoid school-year traffic spikes but said there had been pushback from the petitioners on that idea.

Commissioner Martin Tully said the site's designation as a TIF district and its proximity to a signalized intersection make it a good fit for the business. Commissioner Mike Davenport asked whether the development could work without the requested alley vacation.

Residents push back

During public comment, resident Nanci Gasiel said approving the project would make the village's commitment to becoming a pedestrian-first community "nothing more than lip service and empty words." Resident Scott Richards said opponents aren't against Dutch Bros. as a company but believe the space isn't large enough.

An opposition petition had collected more than 800 signatures as of the Aug. 18 meeting. Bryan Gay, president and CEO of the Downers Grove Economic Development Corp., told the council at the Aug. 4 first reading that Dutch Bros. is estimated to generate $70,000 in annual sales tax revenue, according to Shaw Local.

As we reported Aug. 4, residents at the first reading raised similar traffic and safety objections. David Lorette warned at that session, "If you're going to add all of this car traffic, something's got to happen or people are going to get hurt."

The petitioners are seeking an alley vacation, a special use permit, a plat of subdivision and zoning variances for the drive-thru and a multi-tenant retail building.

The council is scheduled to vote on the proposal at its Tuesday, Sept. 8 meeting. Residents can attend and speak during the public comment period.