7 Brew Coffee drive-through proposed for Huntley site after restaurant proposal falls through

The Huntley Village Board is reviewing proposed plans for a 7 Brew Coffee off Route 47.

The board previously signed off on plans for a Noodles and Company and urgent care facility on the property, according to village documents.

Noodles and Company and the urgent care both decided not to pursue those plans, and developer Core Huntley proposed bringing in a 7 Brew Coffee.

7 Brew Coffee is a drive-through that offers coffee, soda, tea and other beverages. No food would be sold at the coffee shop. Village documents show 7 Brew hopes to expand into the Chicago area.

The village board had a courtesy review for the coffee shop last week, and trustees offered their opinions without voting on it.

Trustee J.R. Westberg said he wished it was a restaurant coming into the space instead and expressed concerns about the volume of music the drive-through might play.

Trustee Ric Zydorowicz said he was "not in favor" of the coffee shop.

"I don't see how this fits in that location," Zydorowicz said.

Trustee Ronda Goldman said the coffee shop would have some appeal to older residents nearby, but was concerned about backups of cars in the drive-through.

She also was concerned about potential noise.

"You're going to be near a hotel," she said.

However, many of the elements of the building don't meet village standards and rules.

According to village documents, three of the sides are proposed to have metal siding, which does not comply with village guidelines. One canopy is lined with LED lights, which also doesn't comply with local rules. The roof structure also exposes mechanical units, access doors and railings, which goes against village code.

Mayor Tim Hoeft was concerned about those and other elements that don't align with the code.

Next steps will be to see if the developer still wants to pursue the project, said Village Manager Dave Johnson.