Iowa City board approves Chipotle-style pickup lane at 21 Sturgis Corner Drive

The Iowa City Board of Adjustment on Feb. 12 approved a special exception (EXC25-0001) allowing a drive-through pickup lane — described in the application as a "Chipotle lane" — for a proposed 2,300-square-foot eating establishment at 21 Sturgis Corner Drive.

The board's approval, which carried on a roll call vote with four members voting yes and one member absent, was accompanied by two conditions recommended by staff: payment of a fee for the cost of a future sidewalk along Highway 6 East (fee to be determined by the city engineer) prior to issuance of a building permit, and general compliance with the site plan dated Feb. 2025.

City planning staff led the presentation and said the applicant proposes to demolish the existing on-site restaurant and construct a new eating establishment with an app-based pickup lane. "The proposed drive through would be a Chipotle lane," Associate Planner Madison Conley said during the staff report, adding the new building would have about 2,300 square feet and an occupancy load of 49.

The staff report reviewed specific and general standards in the city's zoning code for drive-through facilities, including access and circulation, stacking-space minimums, screening, pedestrian safety, and lighting. Staff noted the technical recommendation that a minimum of six stacking spaces be provided; the site plan shows six stacking spaces and a single 10-foot drive-through lane with a separate 12-foot bypass/pickup lane. Staff recommended approval subject to the conditions above and verification of standards during subsequent site-plan and building-permit review.

Traffic impacts were a central focus of board discussion. Senior Associate Transportation Planner Emily Bothell told the board that the traffic impact study found the nearby Sturgis Corner Drive and South Riverside Drive intersection is "already functioning poorly," and that the proposed development would make traffic "slightly worse" at that intersection. Bothell explained, "Level of service really refers to the general flow of traffic... an F level of service means that you may have more stop and go conditions, and speeds may be variable." The study estimated about 76 additional vehicle trips during the PM peak hour related to the proposed use, with roughly 13 additional left-turning vehicles contributing to the highest-delay movement.

Staff and the applicant both emphasized the limits of the city's jurisdiction over existing intersection performance. Bothell said the city currently has no scheduled off-site project to remedy the failing left-turn movement; staff therefore did not recommend off-site improvements as a condition. She said future standalone intersection improvements or larger corridor work tied to the planned Highway 16/Highway 6 Riverside project could address the issue.

Applicant representatives described site design choices intended to reduce impacts. John Marner of MMS Consultants, representing the developer, said the primary pickup lane was located to maximize on-site queuing and allow "approximately 67 feet" (about eight cars) of stacking before it would affect the intersection. Hans Kuhlman of Halifax Development explained operational details for the Chipotle lane: "You order on your app, and then you're notified when your order is ready to be picked up. So you would not get in the drive through lane until you were notified that your order is ready to be picked up."

Board members asked about several site items that staff will verify during site-plan review, including required parking (staff said the code-based parking requirement tied to interior square footage would be enforced; the applicant shows 26 spaces while code would require about 23 for the proposed square footage), location of bike parking, screening of the dumpster, flood-plain permitting (to be reviewed during permit), and on-site signage to clarify the mobile-order pickup process. The applicant agreed to relocate bicycle parking closer to a patio area and to clarify access shown on the site plan.

The board discussed the traffic-study methodology, including that the consultant used standard ITE trip-generation rates (derived from square footage) and that counts used by the consultant were collected at times when university activity and some nearby businesses were reduced; board members questioned how that timing might affect the study's representation of typical peak traffic.

After discussion, a motion to approve EXC25-0001 passed on a roll call with Carlson, Tallman, Swigard and Baker voting yes; Russo was absent. The board chair advised that any appeal to a court of record must be filed within 30 days after the decision is filed with the city clerk.

Votes at a glance: EXC25-0001 — Special exception to allow a drive-through pickup lane (Chipotle lane) at 21 Sturgis Corner Drive: Approved; vote 4–0 (1 absent). Conditions: (1) developer shall pay a fee for the cost of installing a sidewalk along Highway 6 East (fee to be determined by the city engineer) prior to issuance of a building permit; (2) general compliance with the site plan dated Feb. 2025. Further technical compliance (parking count, lighting, screening, flood-plain permitting) to be verified during site-plan and building-permit review.

The decision allows the redevelopment to proceed subject to site-plan review and permits. Staff noted that some off-site traffic issues identified in the study are existing conditions that would require separate city or corridor-level projects to address.