Residents say new 7 Brew's blue neon, speakers make the business a bad neighbor

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly identified the city's assistant director of building development services, Brad Musick.

Cody Hicks lives behind the new 7 Brew Coffee at Sunshine Street and Jefferson Avenue, and his backyard is lit up with blue neon 24 hours a day. Early on Saturday morning, he and other members of the Seminole-Holland neighborhood awoke to loud music shaking their houses as the drive-thru coffee shop celebrated its grand opening. On the street, a line of cars was backed up on Jefferson Avenue from Sunshine all the way to Whiteside Street.

Traffic has calmed after the giveaways and special events marking the store's opening week, but residents of the Seminole-Holland neighborhood still aren't happy with their new neighbor. Hicks said he had to call the police three times Saturday in order for 7 Brew employees to turn the music down. He's not happy about the lights, either.

"I cannot go in my backyard and look at the building because it blinds you, it's so bright," Hicks said.

According to Bruce Adib-Yadzi, president of the Seminole-Holland neighborhood association, the neighborhood was worried about disruptions before the new coffee shop opened. Originally, residents were concerned about the influx of traffic a new coffee shop would bring to the corner of Sunshine Street and Jefferson Avenue. The new store is across the street from an elementary school and just a few blocks away from Bass Pro Shops and the Wonders of Wildlife Aquarium. Now, the problem is the lights and speakers.

"I don't think anybody's measuring that or enforcing it," Adib-Yadzi said.

When the proposal for the 7 Brew came before City Council in June 2022, council members allowed the lot at the southeast corner of Sunshine Street and Jefferson Avenue to be rezoned from residential to a Limited Business district, which allowed a food and drink establishment to operate there. They denied, however, further designation to allow a drive-thru to operate at the site. The developer, Royce Reding, made several changes to the project's design before the drive-thru coffee shop was approved with a conditional use permit in late 2023.

"My biggest concern right now is that the specific items in the conditional use permit are not being adhered to," said Adib-Yadzi, an architect with considerable experience working with city code.

Rezoning for the project was denied by city council three times before finally being approved with a conditional use permit. Conditional use permits are required when a development plan for a site does not fit the zoning district and has to include a site plan with more detailed information. The permit outlines the requirements 7 Brew must meet to operate at the intersection. These include, but are not limited to:

• The drive-thru establishment must comply with the city's standards for safety, traffic, development, and neighborhood character.
• The glare of vehicular lights and stationery lights shall not affect the established character of the neighborhood.
• A sidewalk, which complies with Public Works design standards, shall be constructed along Roanoke Avenue at the time of development.
• Hours of operation shall be limited to 5:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 5:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
• Outside speakers shall be pointed north towards Sunshine Street and away from the residences to the south and east. The noise levels shall not exceed 80 decibels at the property line.

The Seminole-Holland Neighborhood Association originally opposed the conditional use permit. In a statement provided to the News-Leader from January 2023, then-board member William Cooper wrote:

"The Seminole Holland Neighborhood Association is disappointed in the Council’s decision to approve the 7-Brew drive-thru. We believe the planned use of the property does not satisfy the basic requirements of a limited business zoning designation to allow development that provides goods and services to the neighborhood. Going forward, we will expect the 7-Brew coffee shop to be a good neighbor."

According to Hicks, 7 Brew might also be violating the conditional use permit with south-facing speakers.

Hicks says the speakers face directly toward the neighborhood, which is why they were woken up so early on Saturday morning. He said there was a DJ at the 7 Brew event that day, with a post facing his house. After he asked them to turn the music down, Hicks said they kept turning the volume back up. He said he called the police three times Saturday, and employees finally turned the music down.

"They don't care about being good neighbors," Hicks said.

Hicks was also hoping the new 7 Brew would have tables and chairs so members of the community could walk up to the coffee shop. He doesn't like that the 7 Brew is designed for cars and drive-thru traffic— not necessarily for people in the neighborhood.

According to Brandon Sebald, 7 Brew franchisee for the company's Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas markets, they are following guidelines set in the conditional use permit when it comes to speakers. He said the speakers at the Sunshine Street location are arranged differently than they would be at other 7 Brew locations so the sound stays under the level of 80 decibels outlined by the city. There are, however, speakers on the south side of the building.

"We're not trying to be troublesome to anybody," Sebald said. "But it is a commercially zoned district, which, whether it's us or Burger King or somebody, the same issues are going to be present for anybody right on that commercial use lot."

Brad Musick, assistant director of building development services, said the city has been monitoring the situation at 7 Brew. He said within the next week, zoning inspectors should be looking at speakers, lighting and outdoor seating areas to make sure the business is abiding by requirements outlined in the conditional use permit.

"If they're in violation of the zoning code or that conditional use permit, we'll have to enforce it, which just means we will send the notices," Musick said. "If they don't respond to the notices, we'll end up having to have a hearing over it."

Sebald said the 7 Brew team takes pride in being part of a community and giving back, and he hopes to work with the neighborhood to be a part of it. After speaking with the News-Leader, Sebald said he would instruct the operations team at the new 7 Brew to turn off the blue neon lights after closing.

"I personally hope that they become a good neighbor," Hicks said. "I just don't want to have to stay on top. It's not my responsibility."

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Residents say new 7 Brew's blue neon, speakers make the business a bad neighbor