The St. Michael Planning Commission gets its first look this week at the proposed Dunn Brothers Coffee Shop, which will sit on the one-way pair near the former site of Simonson Lumber in the downtown area of the city.
The commission is set to discuss both the developer’s proposed building plans for the site, and an ordinance amendment request needed to clear the way for drive-up coffee service at the location.
Both items can be seen in the Planning Packet, found here via the City of St. Michael website.
The ordinance amendment will be needed to allow businesses that have more than 50 percent of beverage sales via drive-thru services, something the Dunn Brothers store ownership is counting on with its planned location in between two of the city’s busiest roads. The planning commission will make a recommendation to the city council on that ordinance, expanding it to B-1 and B-2 commercial districts within the city.
The Dunn Brothers store, which was approved in January by the St. Michael Economic Development Authority, will be owned by St. Michael resident Matt Kammann.
Kammann, who worked as a general manager for Funk Seed of Indiana, has a background in hospitality and said it’s been a desire of his to own something closer to his home on the south side of the community.
The 18,000 square foot plot, which sits in between the “One Way Pair” in downtown St. Michael, was sold for $30,000 to A&D Holdings, LLC. General contractor R.J. Marco will lead construction of the project.
The plot will leave room for a possible monument sign or, as proposed last year, a Veterans Memorial sponsored by the St. Michael American Legion, which was a topic of some discussion at city meetings last winter.
The store will have more than a “coffee shop” feel, Kammann said. His plan is to acquire a beer and wine license so the store can sell alcoholic beverages during the evening, and to provide live entertainment on a patio that is planned for the location.
But, as most Dunn Brothers stores do, the shop will roast beans on site for both use in the shop and for purchase, and will provide a drive-up for commuters using Highway 241 both to get to work and to get home.
In a meeting with city officials earlier this year regarding the purchase of the city-owned property, some issues were expressed with the idea of the shop in the heart of downtown.
“My one concern with the shop here has always been stacking of vehicles,” said St. Michael Mayor Jerry Zachman. “I mean, it’d be a good problem to have, but if you’re leaving cars out on the street, people aren’t going to be OK with that.”
Kammann and Reg Plowman of RJ Marco both said at a hearing in January their studies show the ability to accommodate cars even at peak traffic hours, with the ability to have two drive up lanes moving through the location, if necessary.
City staff, Kamman and Plowman have worked together to create the plan coming to the commission Wednesday night.
Planning commission meetings are held the first Wednesday of each month at the St. Michael City Center and are open to the public.