Drive-Through Starbucks Approved In Newtown Township

The Newtown Township Board of Supervisors have approved plans for a drive-through Starbucks under specific conditions, after the applicant filed an appeal to an earlier rejection.

During a meeting Wednesday, the Newtown Township Board of Supervisors approved a settlement agreement allowing Starbucks to construct a drive-through location at the Village at Newtown Shopping Center. The free-standing building will be located in the parking lot area adjacent to McCaffrey's market.

It will be Starbucks' third Newtown shop. There are locations in Newtown Borough and in the nearby Acme grocery store. However, it will be the first local store with a drive-through window.

The coffee shop will be just about 1,900 square feet and have 41 seats. An additional 26 outdoor seats would be located in a contained area.

In May, the Board of Supervisors unanimously rejected a conditional use application for the coffee shop, saying the proposal would crowd the shopping center and squeeze too many buildings onto the shopping center site.

But Supervisors Chairman Phil Calabro on Wednesday cautioned there could be further legal complications if the settlement were not approved.

"If this were denied tonight, it puts us into legal implications but also puts us into a situation where they can build the building and we would have no say in the matter," Supervisors chairman Phil Calabro said.

Conditions in the settlement include measures for safe pedestrian access, an escape lane to prevent backups at the drive-through, and other items.

Click here to watch the full meeting.