BRICK – Coffee lovers got some good news recently since it was announced that an application for the township’s first free-standing, drive-thru Starbucks was unanimously approved by the Planning Board during their December meeting.
The site of the new coffeehouse is on Brick Boulevard, fronting Bay Harbor Plaza, and inside a jughandle turn in front of AC Moore/The Burlington Coat Factory. The .92-acre lot was once the site of a Getty gas station.
Loralie Totten of Crest Engineering Inc. said that the 2,325-square-foot building would have three points of access: a right-in, right-out only on Brick Blvd.; one at the southern portion of the jughandle; and a northern access point that is “in only.”
A drive-through is planned for the eastern side of the site. Architectural renderings show outdoor seating and 30 parking spaces.
The engineer said that three variances would be needed for the application, which include the setback of the building, the impervious coverage, and the location of the trash enclosure since the property is relatively narrow.
Township Zoning Officer Sean Kinneavy said the administration agrees that the location is perfect because it’s too small for a super Wawa or that type of facility.
“That’s a great location for Starbucks because on that side of Brick Boulevard there’s no place to stop and get coffee,” he said.
Construction of the new Starbucks, which is the largest coffeehouse chain in the world, should begin this summer and would take about six months to complete, said architect Dan Governelli during the Planning Board meeting.
Kinneavy, who has served at Brick’s Zoning Officer since 1980, has set his retirement for Feb. 1, 2019.
