Independent Newsmedia
A new Starbucks location with a drive-thru lane is planned at Mountain Ranch Marketplace in Estrella on the northwest corner of Estrella Parkway and Elliot Road.
A use permit by Kitchell Development Co. to build the new Starbucks location was unanimously approved by Goodyear City Council Monday.
The Starbucks will be in the shopping center anchored by a Safeway, which also has a Starbucks kiosk inside.
The shopping center is home to an existing McDonald’s and Taco Bell, which both have a drive-thru window.
There was some discussion among council members about the risk of creating a traffic jam by adding a drive-thru window so close to the McDonald’s.
Councilmember Wally Campbell compared the plans to a similar set-up near Estrella Parkway and Van Buren Street where a Dutch Bros. drive-thru was built in proximity to a McDonald’s.
“It is a mess,” Campbell said. “If you park as a patron, you get blocked in because of the lines.”
Brad Anderson of Kitchell responded that the plans were approved by the city’s traffic engineer and the capacity of the Starbucks drive-thru lane exceeded the city’s criteria.
“Sometimes I question our city requirements because some of our parking lots are awful,” Campbell responded, adding she is concerned developers are using “every inch of space…in the shopping center for businesses.
Other council members recognized that similar drive-thru locations in Goodyear have resulted in long lines and increased traffic, but were in support of the new Starbucks.
Councilmember Bill Stipp mentioned another troublesome area near PebbleCreek Parkway and McDowell Road, where a Starbucks was approved in close proximity to a Popeyes fast food restaurant resulting in long lines and heavy traffic.
“The amount of people that sit in line for a cup of coffee is astonishing to me,” Stipp said, but added, “If they don’t care, I don’t know that we should put an undue burden on the property owners.”
The planned Starbucks will offer free Wi-Fi and both indoor and outdoor seating.