Starbucks Gains Approval Of Planning & Zoning In Cheshire

CHESHIRE, CT — Plans for a new Starbucks in Cheshire were approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission during a special meeting earlier this week.

The commission approved the special permit application Feb. 8 by an 8-1 vote with Robert Brucato opposing, according to minutes of the meeting.

Plans call for a 2,042-square-foot Starbucks to be built, with a drive-thru, at the former site of the Dragon Buffet restaurant at 944 South Main St.

Brucato said he wasn’t in favor of the plans because the building design wasn’t “what we want in Cheshire…the Cheshire Village look,” the meeting minutes state.

During a public hearing on Jan. 25, Brucato said he was disappointed with the building design because it was more modern/contemporary than the “village” style, according to the minutes. Brucato preferred a village-type look that he has seen in Shelton.

Brucato also said he had no problem with a Starbucks coming to Cheshire, but doesn’t like or approve of the building design.

The public hearing was postponed due to some of the concerns that were brought up, and it resumed on Feb. 8.

Joe Nosal, the applicant and property owner, said the building will have a “natural wood look, and is durable for New England, energy efficient, and inviting with many different features,” according to minutes from the Feb. 8 public hearing.

Nosal, who has been a Cheshire resident for more than 25 years, said he thought the proposed design had the right look and fit for that area of town.

Commissioner member Matthew Bowman said the proposed Starbucks is a “phenomenal improvement to the green monstrosity formerly on the site,” according to the meeting minutes.

Read more of the public hearing comments here.