Public Hearing Planned For Proposed Dutch Bros. Drive-Thru In Downers Grove

DOWNERS GROVE, IL — The Downers Grove Planning and Zoning Commission will hold a public hearing on July 6 for a proposal for a drive-through Dutch Bros. Coffee at the corner of Saratoga and Ogden Avenues.

Petitioners are requesting approval of the planned unit development, along with a special use permit for a drive-thru. They are also requesting the site be rezoned from B3, general services and highway business, to B3/PUD, general services and highway businesses/planned unit development.

The proposed Dutch Bros. Coffee has met with resistance from neighbors over concerns about traffic safety.

In early June, a resident, who asked to remain anonymous, told Patch, "Our opposition is rooted in the basic fundamentals of being directly near the school zone."

They added, "These roads are the primary walking routes for hundreds of middle and high school students, as well as the main entry points for school buses and parent drop-offs/pick ups. Forcing young pedestrians and inexperienced teenage drivers to navigate impatient, rushed commuters who are hostilely cutting through school entry zones significantly increases the risk of accidents."

A petition entitled started on Change.org urges Downers Grove officials to deny the special use permit request for Dutch Bros. As of June 16, the petition had garnered 718 signatures.

The public hearing will be held at Downers Grove Civic Center July 6 at 7 p.m.