A new drive-thru Starbucks will be built in Central Long Beach after city leaders signed off on plans that had been long in the making for the nation’s largest coffee brand.
The city’s Planning Commission on Thursday approved a site plan for a roughly 1,800-square-foot coffee shop and drive-thru that would occupy two current lots at 1601 and 1629 E. Pacific Coast Highway, which is just south of Chittick Field.
The shop would have no indoor seating but would include an outdoor patio that can be enclosed and a drive-thru that could queue up to 11 vehicles. Customers would enter on Walnut Avenue and exit on Gaviota Avenue.
The property previously housed gas stations for more than 50 years until the 1990s. The businesses that currently operate on the lots include Nava Smog Check and CETIS Auto Services and ABI Auto.
The former uses of the lots resulted in a lengthy study and remediation process, said Ralph Deppisch, director of development for Sage Investco, the project developer. The site had soil and groundwater contamination due to elevated levels of petroleum hydrocarbons.
It was not immediately clear when construction might begin or when the new Starbucks would open.
Commissioners raised some concerns about another coffee shop opening in Long Beach when the city desperately needs housing stock. The lots had been evaluated for housing, with a study showing up to 10 residential units could be located there.
Staff of the planning department, however, said that the shape of the lots — they are only 87 feet deep — could be problematic for housing and that the city has gained ground on its housing goals through better-than-expected production of accessory dwelling units, or ADUs, since 2018.
Keri Hellinga, store development manager for Starbucks, said the company is very excited about opening another location in Long Beach, where it operates more than a dozen stores.