ALAMOSA — Coffee lovers will have another place to pick up their morning coffee in Alamosa, with the proposed construction of a Starbucks coffee shop next to Sonic.

Sonic, which currently owns the property, will open its parking lot up to allow access to the new coffee shop, and the Colorado Department of Transportation has approved access off Main Street (Highway 160), Alamosa City Public Works Director Pat Steenburg explained to the city council during a recent council meeting. He said there would be no direct access off of Sixth Street, but motorists could come back around to Main Street or through the Sonic lot.

The matter before the council concerning the proposed coffee shop was a request for permitted use by special review to allow outdoor dining, which the council unanimously approved. The planning commission had unanimously recommended approval.

The outdoor seating will be located on a patio at the northwest corner of the building. Outdoor seating is popular, Steenburg said, and the city council has granted such requests for other local eateries.

The council discussed the traffic situation at that site, which can “get messy,” councilor Liz Thomas Hensley said, but Steenburg said that is the location the developers wanted.

Steenburg said to really fix the traffic flow problems in that area would be expensive.

“It is what it is,” he said.

He added that the new business would be good for Alamosa.

Alamosa Mayor Josef Lucero added, “It’s nice to see new business.”

The new Starbucks will consist of a free standing quick service coffee shop with drive through window and patio seating.

Caption: This is the site of a future Starbucks coffee shop in Alamosa. Courier photo by Ruth Heide