Tooele planning commission approves two drive‑thru conditional‑use permits at Smith's marketplace site

The Tooele City Planning Commission on Jan. 22 approved two conditional‑use permits to allow accessory drive‑through facilities on pads B and F at the northwest corner of 24100 North and Main Street (State Route 36).

The permits, requested by L. H. Perry Investments LLC for pads within the Compass Point commercial development, were approved on 7–0 votes after brief public hearings and staff presentations. Commissioners approved the pad B permit on a motion by Commissioner Paul Jensen, seconded by Commissioner Hamilton, and approved the pad F permit on a motion by Commissioner Procter, seconded by Commissioner Anderson. Both motions were carried unanimously.

Calvin Page, city planning staff, presented the items and described them as separate applications for accessory drive‑through facilities on the same site and noted that the site plan for the broader development will be reviewed separately. Rick Magnus of AWA Engineering, representing the applicant, answered commissioners’ questions at both hearings and described design details intended to address queuing and traffic concerns. "On pad B … we have measured that out. There's a 9‑car queuing or stacking" in the inside lane and "the ability on the outside to have 15 cars queued," Magnus said, adding that the queuing lengths exceed code requirements. For pad F, Magnus said the proposed drive‑through will accommodate 15 queued vehicles and will not conflict with adjacent parcels.

Magnus also noted that a trash enclosure is shown at the edge of the pads and that the parcels sit below the adjacent street grade. "In this case, the site is actually below grade of the adjacent street. So you will not have that headlight concern that I'm sure is what that code tries to protect," he said, referring to the drive‑through elevation standard in the city code. He told commissioners he concurred with staff recommendations to approve the permits.

Commissioners asked only brief clarifying questions about circulation, the dumpster/trash enclosure location and how separate drive‑through lanes interact where their drive aisles meet. Magnus said the striping and curb radii are designed to allow the two drive‑through lanes to function where they come together. He also identified likely tenants for the pads in informal remarks: Tropical Smoothie and Beans & Brews for pad B, and Einstein Bagels and Jersey Mike's as possibilities for pad F, but he said lease‑space assignments were not specified.

Both public hearings drew no members of the public in opposition; the only public speaker was the applicant’s engineering representative. The commission approved both conditional‑use permits 7–0 and noted that site plan review will follow the commission’s approvals.

The commission also approved its Jan. 8, 2025 minutes and adjourned the meeting.