Caribou Coffee Is Coming To Downtown Northbrook

Come fall, Northbrook residents may be able to pick up a cup of Caribou Coffee on their way to the , or sit outside enjoying a pastry with a view of the .

On Tuesday, trustees approved a design permit and license agreement for a proposed Caribou Coffee and Sherwin Williams in the former Northbrook Garage property at Meadow and Shermer roads.

“I think this will be a big bonus for downtown,” said Trustee Todd Heller.

Northbrook’s village board last considered and approved a design permit for the property in March 2010, when a Panera Bread was planned as anchor tenant. But when Panera pulled out, owner Jonathan Berger of The Equitable Funds LLC had to go back to the drawing board in search of a replacement tenant.

The new plans call for the Caribou Coffee to be located at Shermer and Meadow, with the Sherwin Williams behind it at Meadow and Walters.

While trustees approved the plan, they did have some concerns, particularly over potential loss of trees. Plans call for removal of four trees, but trustees asked the developer to ensure that they were replaced either with other trees or appropriate vegetation.

“The one thing that does jump out at me, it really does disturb me, is the loss of existing trees,” said Trustee James Karagianis. “We pride ourselves in our tree canopy.”

Karagianis suggested that the developer should work with village staff to come up with a plan that involved the removal of just two trees, instead of four.

“It’s going to make it look barren when it could look quite engaging and part of a mature community rather than a fresh development,” he said.

Trustee Buehler, however, said he thought the outdoor tables called for in the plan made up for the removal of trees.

“The way I see the rendering, it’s pretty appealing as far as the number of outside eating spaces,” Buehler said.

Berger explained that it was tough to keep more trees on the north side of the site, since doing so would potentially compromise pedestrian’s ability to walk around the property or might damage the trees themselves. Replacing trees they removed might be easier, he said.

Trustees also raised concerns about the way parking was set up. The plans call for 26 spaces, lined up along Meadow Road. But their location requires anyone parking their car to walk in the street to get to the sidewalk.

“I do think that we just as a board need to consider that as dangerous—I mean, people walking into Meadow?” said Trustee Kati Spaniak.

Trustees approved the design, provided the developers work with the director of community planning to address concerns about the safety of parking on Meadow Road and reduction in the net total number of trees removed from the property.

Berger said final plans will be submitted to the village board this spring and that the Caribou Coffee is likely to be completed by next fall.