Starbucks sign image via Wikipedia user 4028mdk09

This story was originally published by Fresnoland, a nonprofit news organization.

July 27, 2023 — Clovis Planning Commission

Documented by Josef Sibala

What happened: A new drive-thru Starbucks is coming to Clovis after the city’s planning commission approved its conditional use permit on Thursday.

The coffee shop will be located in the former Costco parking lot at 250 W. Ashlan Ave., between Peach and Dakota avenues.

The Fresno County Department of Social Services, WinCo Foods, Taco Bell, Rally’s, and a locally owned coffee shop, Monkey Dog Coffee, share the same parking lot. The site is currently an empty concrete slab where the Costco gas pumps were previously located.

 

During public comments, Rose Cochran said that traffic patterns in the area should be reconsidered due to the addition of the drive-thru.

The owner of Monkey Dog Coffee, Alexander Osuna, also expressed concerns about increased traffic in the parking lot and said that in the two years they have leased their space, he has seen several near collisions involving pedestrians.

It will be the ninth drive-thru Starbucks location in Clovis, according to the coffee chain’s store locator.

And also: Renee Mathis, director of Planning and Development Services, said that city staff completed its audit of the General Plan and a draft will be presented to the Clovis City Council for review at its Aug. 21 meeting.

The plan will not be presented to the planning commission prior to that meeting, so Mathis encouraged commissioners to attend the Aug. 21 city council meeting.

California state law requires every city and county to adopt a comprehensive General Plan that is used to guide future development.

The General Plan is a document that describes policy for a city’s future land-use decisions; it sets policy goals and guides the city’s physical development. The state recommends they be updated every 10 to 15 years.

The last Clovis General Plan was adopted in 2014 with an overall vision of, “A City that is committed to the Clovis Community Family, their needs, their values, and a quality way of life for all; reflecting that commitment in how it develops and in the activities it undertakes.”