New Starbucks gets go-ahead

PERKINS TWP. — In the near future, people can travel to yet another location offering trademark coffee drinks, such as vanilla lattes and cinnamon roll Frappuccinos. Perkins Township trustees on Tuesday approved plans to make way for a new Starbucks at Milan Road (U.S. 250) and East Perkins Avenue near Michaels. It's tentatively set to get built where the now-defunct Rainbow Muffler & Brake once operated from. For about two months, officials made the necessary zoning changes at various meetings for this project. One change involved ensuring this site could accommodate a drive-thru. While they didn't mention "Starbucks" by name during public sessions, officials believed — and later confirmed by developers — all work circled back to creating a franchise there. Officials believe this forthcoming Starbucks won't replace any of the existing Sandusky-area locations, including at 4912 Milan Road by Meijer or others operating within another business, like at Cedar Point, Kroger and Target. Many other details about the project — such as an overall investment, a timeline and the coffeehouse's actual size — haven't been publicly disclosed. The Erie County auditor lists this property, totaling about one-third of an acre, at about $83,000.