Frappuccino addicts will have to wait to get their own Starbucks in Augusta, county officials said Wednesday.
The company has dropped plans to build a 1,830-square-foot coffee shop in the parking lot of the O'Charley's restaurant in the Augusta Exchange shopping center.
George Patty, the executive director of the Richmond County Planning Commission, said his office received a letter late Tuesday afternoon stating that the real estate company representing O'Charley's was withdrawing its request for a parking variance.
Earlier last month, Cherry & Associates Commercial Real Estate Services filed a petition with the county to reduce the number of parking spaces required for both restaurants to operate in the space off Robert C. Daniel Parkway.
The planning commission was slated to hear the issue next Tuesday.
"I think something still is going to be planned for that parcel, but for whatever reason, there is not going to be a Starbucks," said Charles Vaughn, a principal at Cherry & Associates.
He said he did not know why Starbucks changed its their plans to open a company-operated store in that spot.
Officials from Starbucks' real-estate team did not release a reason for the change, but they said there were no other confirmed plans on file for a Starbucks in Augusta.
Mr. Vaughn said O'Charley's will still look at building on the half-acre parcel in its parking lot and will likely lease it to a small retail store.
Mr. Patty said that any construction plans will have to be approved by the county and that the parking lot already is at capacity with the existing restaurant.
"They're going to have to get through us to do it," he said. "They still have to apply for a variance."
Reach Vicky Eckenrode at (706) 823-3227 or vicky.eckenrode@augustachronicle.com.
