By Sara Beth Williams–
The Citrus Heights City Council plans to hold a public hearing on Wednesday, Dec. 11, for a new coffee shop with drive-thru services to be built at the Stock Ranch Plaza.
City documents show a new Starbucks location design review and use permit were submitted in May of this year for 6970 Auburn Blvd.
The proposed Starbucks would be located in the Stock Ranch Plaza, across from Walmart, on an undeveloped parcel facing Auburn Boulevard. Designs show the planned construction of a proposed 2,308-square-foot building with a drive-thru lane wrapping around the back.
In order for the project to move forward, the City Council needs to approve an amendment to the Stock Ranch Guide for Development to allow for extended operating hours for fast-casual and drive-thru restaurants, along with approving the Design Review Permit and Use Permit.
Most Starbucks locations open between the hours of 4:30 a.m. and 6:00 a.m., and all existing Starbucks drive-thru locations within Citrus Heights open at 4:30 a.m., according to the city. The applicant is requesting an amendment that would allow the coffee shop to open at 5:00 am, one hour earlier than the Stock Ranch Guide for Development currently allows.
The Stock Ranch Guide allows for one drive-thru restaurant in the Auburn Commerce District according to the agenda packet. The proposed Starbucks is anticipated to generate up to $4,800 in annual sales tax revenue, according to a city staff report.
Plans for the new Starbucks location call for landscape improvements between the building and the sidewalk along Auburn Boulevard, including the addition of several trees, shrubs, and multiple parking spaces. Existing irrigation and landscaping along the boulevard will remain. A rendering of the layout shows an outdoor patio area with several tables in addition to indoor seating.
The new Starbucks would be located several blocks away from an existing Starbucks located at 7082 Auburn Blvd., at Sylvan Corners. Some local residents have expressed frustration over the nearby Starbucks location’s fluctuations and inconsistency in open hours of operation.
A nearby five-tenant building also facing Auburn Boulevard is home to the newly-opened West Coast Sourdough, along with a Sport Clips hair salon, AT&T store, Crumbl Cookies, and Citrus Heights Smile Dentistry.
The Stock Ranch plan, approved in February 2001, provides for the development of 570,000 square feet of commercial areas as well as over 43 acres for residential development and 32 acres of open space, according to the city’s website.
According to prior reports, the concept for a fully built Stock Ranch Plaza includes up to ten building pads housing multiple tenants, varying in size but similar to the existing five-tenant building housing West Coast Sourdough.
The development of the plaza began with the construction of the Costco building in 2003 and Walmart in 2005. Applebee’s Bar & Grill opened in late 2015.
