FLORENCE, Ky. — A popular coffee shop hasn't yet served its first handcrafted drink in Florence, but some people have begun expressing concerns that the business will create traffic headaches on an already heavily congested road.
Lexington-based chain 7Brew is opening two locations in the Boone County community. One will open on the site of the former Krispy Kreme on Turfway Road. The one under scrutiny, and set to open this fall, is located on US-42, between a busy intersection and the entrance to Interstate 75.
The 500-square-foot drive-thru coffee shop was driven on the back of a semi and placed into its spot by a crane back in August. It was around that time when conversation began to pick up on social media.
"Is a 7 brew coming to (US)42? In the worst place ever near the mall road intersection? This is a 7 brew building," one Facebook user wrote in a neighborhood group.
"US42 is a traffic nightmare already without adding another high traffic-generating, high-turn business," another comment reads.
"Well, I can promise you all traffic will be hellish," another person wrote. "The one in Newport causes such a traffic jam it's crazy."
WATCH: See why residents are worried about traffic at the site and how the 7Brew coffee craze is impacting another Northern Kentucky city
Traffic Woes Brew Around 7Brew in Newport
Traffic congestion at the Newport 7Brew has plagued drivers for months. We reported on the issue in August.
The location sits in the parking lot of the shopping plaza located on the corner of Carothers Road and Monmouth Street. Because of that, customers trying to access 7Brew use the same two entrances that other plaza patrons do.
Access to Newport Central Catholic High School is also off that plaza entrance.
Despite two dedicated lanes and employees taking orders on tablets, cars spill into the plaza throughway and block the intersection off the Carothers Road entrance.
We reached out to the City of Newport at the time about potential solutions. Chief of Police Chris Fangman told us the plaza owner was working with 7Brew on a traffic flow redesign to ease congestion.
We checked back in with Fangman on Wednesday, asking for an update on that effort. He wrote back that there has been a change.
"We have been monitoring the traffic issue and have observed the redirection of the traffic over towards the far west side of the property as was planned. The traffic redirection on the property during busier times seems to be working and we will continue to monitor for any further issues,' Fangman said in an email.
Despite Fangman's positive assurance, one viewer wrote to us claiming traffic issues persist at the Newport location.
"I heard you reported that the city of Newport police department had rerouted traffic in order for traffic safety. I have not seen any improvements. We installed signs asking people not to block the road for school traffic. I feel for Florence state route 42. Nothing will be done about this," the viewer said.
City of Florence Approved the US-42 Location in March
The Florence City Council approved a zoning map amendment during its March 18 Caucus meeting, allowing for the 7Brew development on the US-42 adjacent lot. The ordinance passed with a 4-2 vote following the recommendation of the city planning and zoning committee.
Council member Lesley Chambers was one of those opposed. We reached out to her to ask why she voted no. She declined an interview but did say she didn't feel the property was the best location for the drive-thru coffee shop, which is known for boasting high demand.
The lot sits next to a White Castle. Before council passed the ordinance, a strip of land sat vacant and undeveloped behind the fast-food restaurant. By rezoning the lot, that strip of land is now part of the 7Brew project, allocated for a new southern driveway.
It will be a one-way exit lane permitting cars to turn onto Lacresta Drive, a residential road currently servicing a subdivision. Cars would then meet a stoplight at the intersection with US-42.
Should customers choose that exit, however, they would have to navigate through traffic entering from US-42 before looping past the drive-thru lanes.
The only entrance is off US-42. If customers want to exit directly onto US-42, they can only turn right.
At the March caucus meeting, Director of Community Development Todd Morgan said that based on the concept plan, the two drive-thru lanes are designed to support a maximum of 24 cars at a time.
7Brew representative Brian Evans then addressed potential traffic buildups when Chambers questioned the typical volume of cars during peak hours.
"On a peak hour, I looked at 10 locations. Our peak hour tends to be 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. or 8 a.m. to 9 a.m., depending on the location, and we see around 79 to 80 vehicles on average during those peak times," Evans said. "Based on the (traffic study), KYTC looked at it, the city engineer looked at it, neither saw any negligible impacts on the traffic system."
Morgan told us that three entities had a say in the project. Florence City Council approved the zoning amendment. The Boone County Planning Commission approved the slate plan, or the civil package, including parking lot design, landscaping and grading. Morgan said the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) approved the access points from the property to US-42.
Wait and See
Some residents remain skeptical.
"Honestly, I can see that as a potential issue. Just cause of the amount of traffic here that comes through here on the daily," Ricky Cooper said.
He lives in Florence and works near the US-42 and Mall Road intersection, not far from the 7Brew site.
"Traffic is currently a nightmare," Cooper said. "This stretch of road here, just 24/7, it seems like it's always busy. Coming out of here at the end of the day, at like 5, it's still a nightmare."
One woman who lives in the neighborhood behind the White Castle and the new 7Brew site expressed her concerns about the exit lane onto Lacresta Drive.
"It's going to be an absolute nightmare," she wrote in an email. "That light is already backed up with people leaving White Castle, there’s a terrible blind spot exiting White Castle and this exit is right next to their exit. There is also a group home for developmentally delayed gentlemen to the right of the exit. They walk along LaCresta to 42. It’s scary."
