Richardson planners approve special development plan for Ayat restaurant, limit drive-through to pickup orders

The Richardson Planning and Zoning Commission on Tuesday approved a special development plan allowing Ayat restaurant to occupy the former Wendy’s building at the northwest corner of South Sherman Street and West Spring Valley Road, but limited the location’s drive-through to pickup orders only.

City planning staff told commissioners the site is zoned Planned Development (PD) under the city’s Main Street Central Expressway form-based code and sits in the Rail Side subdistrict of the Transit Village place type in the Envision Richardson comprehensive plan. Ms. Peters, city planning staff, said the applicant seeks a special permit to reestablish a drive-through and a special development plan to address several nonconformities created when the prior Wendy’s drive-through use lapsed in 2023.

The special development plan — which will run with the land — passed on a 4-3 vote; commissioners voting in favor outnumbered those opposed. Commissioners debated the appropriateness of reintroducing a menu-board-driven drive-through at an intersection the city is trying to redevelop for walkability and transit-oriented uses.

Why it matters: The commission’s action preserves the restaurant’s ability to operate and adds outdoor seating while narrowing the scope of drive-through activity. The decision balances reuse of a long-vacant commercial site against the city’s pedestrian-first vision for the Sherman Street corridor.

Key facts and proposal details -…