Council tables Knollwood Chipotle comprehensive‑plan amendment and drive‑through permit to Oct. 6

The Saint Louis Park City Council voted to table consideration of a proposal to develop a Chipotle restaurant with a pickup‑only drive‑through at the southwest corner of Knollwood Mall, directing staff to bring the matter back to the Oct. 6, 2025 council meeting.

Caitlin Champu, an associate planner in the community development department, presented the applicant’s proposal and the staff recommendation. Champu said the owner (Lindsay Knollwood 2 LLC) proposes to develop a Chipotle on a vacant parcel at 8528 Highway 7 and to adjust approvals on the adjacent parcel at 8530 Highway 7 so the two properties can share parking and circulation. Staff asked the council to approve a comprehensive‑plan amendment (to change part of 8528 Highway 7 from right‑of‑way to commercial), approve conditional‑use permits allowing in‑vehicle service (drive‑through) and shared/off‑site parking, and rescind an existing special permit for the northern parcel and replace it with a conditional‑use permit.

Champu described site specifics: the Chipotle parcel will be accessed from 30 Seventh Street West via an easement through the existing commercial parking lot; the Minnesota Department of Transportation had previously restricted direct access to Highway 7 when it released a highway easement in 2022; the combined parking requirement for both properties is 84 spaces after a 10% transit‑proximity reduction; the project proposes 68 spaces on the existing commercial lot and 16 on the Chipotle lot; the Chipotle drive‑through layout provides stacking for eight vehicles at the pickup window (zoning requires at least six); three pull‑in spaces are included to reduce queuing; and the applicant proposes planting 15 new trees and 92 shrubs. Champu said the applicant does not propose removing existing trees.

The application was reviewed by the Planning…