Board of Adjustment approves 21-foot fire-lane variance for Taco Bell parcel at 777 Washington Square

The City of Washington Board of Adjustment on July 28, 2025, voted to grant a variance to allow a 21-foot fire lane for the proposed subdivision of property at 777 Washington Square, the parcel commonly known as the Taco Bell.

The variance was requested so the restaurant parcel could be subdivided from a larger shopping-center lot. Planning staff told the board the city zoning code (section 4.35.01[a]) requires fire lanes to be at least 26 feet wide but that the existing access easement through the shopping center measures a little over 21 feet for roughly 150 feet of the lane. Planning staff said the fire department reviewed the site and "do[es] not have any issues with granting the variance down to 21 feet." The board approved the variance, subject to compliance with…