The City of Farmers Branch City Council voted unanimously Aug. 5 to adopt Ordinance No. 3934, granting a specific-use permit for a drive-through restaurant at 4169 LBJ Freeway to allow a Wendy’s site to be renovated and reopened as a Starbucks.

City planning staff said the property, just under an acre, is zoned Planned Development District No. 68 and that restaurants are allowed by right but a drive-through requires a specific-use permit. "The request tonight is for a specific use permit for a restaurant with drive through, which will be a Starbucks," Brett Mangum, lead planner with the City of Farmers Branch planning department, told the council.

Mangum said the existing building will remain but will be rebranded, and the site plan adds landscaping where three employee parking spaces now sit and a splitter island to better delineate drive-through traffic. He described the proposed queuing capacity as "a total of 7 car lengths between the drive through board back and then 5 additional spaces for additional cars between the order board and the pickup window," conservatively holding about 12 cars in the drive-through lane.

No written correspondence for or against the permit was received as of the hearing, Mangum said, and staff found the project met PD 68 parking and landscaping requirements. The public hearing drew no public speakers. Council members offered brief comments of support: Councilman Neal thanked the Starbucks representatives for their investment, and Mayor Lynn said the council looked forward to the new business.

The council closed the public hearing and then voted to approve the ordinance. The record shows the council approved Ordinance No. 3934 by a unanimous vote.

Why it matters: The decision allows continued commercial use at a high-visibility corner along LBJ Freeway and authorizes modifications intended to improve pedestrian and vehicular circulation on the site. The council’s action preserved the site’s commercial zoning while adding express approval for a drive-through under the PD 68 requirements.

Details and next steps: The planning presentation said the existing ingress and egress points will remain, including the main entrance off Valley View Lane. The applicant indicated the fenced area in back will not be an enclosed customer space but will be used for deliveries. Construction and renovation will proceed under the city’s usual permitting and inspection processes; no construction timeline was provided during the hearing.

Speakers quoted or cited in this article are listed in the accompanying speaker registry and are drawn from the meeting transcript.