The Jasper City Planning Commission on Nov. 25 recommended that the city council approve a special‑use permit for a drive‑through restaurant and a related parking variance at the Gateway master‑planned center on Mountain Boulevard South.

Applicant David Terry of Gateway Commercial LLC told the commission the center is intended as a mixed‑use, walkable community hub and that reducing the municipal parking ratio will allow more green space and pedestrian amenities. "Parking reform is something that I'm really passionate about," Terry said, arguing that shared parking across neighboring parcels will allow the development to operate with fewer dedicated spaces while supporting evening and daytime peaks.

Planning staff presented the site plan and recommended approval of both requests subject to conditions. For the drive‑through, staff listed operational and design conditions — hours of operation limited to 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., a 12‑foot primary queuing lane (no formal bypass required), a 9‑foot maximum clearance, awning at the pickup window, 40 feet of stacking to the order point, pedestrian crossing signage, mitigation of odors and light trespass, speaker volume limits, and a required business license prior to opening.

For the parking variance, staff summarized that the center’s total supply across parcels will be about 232 spaces, with one adjacent parcel providing about 84 spaces (24 more than required) and an existing two‑story office contributing roughly 40 spaces. Staff reviewed the five variance criteria in the zoning code (exceptional property conditions, hardship, peculiar circumstances, non‑owner‑created conditions, and no substantial detriment) and concluded the criteria were met. Staff recommended approval with conditions, including a minimum of 108 on‑site parking spaces, no parking on private streets, restrictions on reserved tenant parking, a maximum of five short‑term pickup spaces, and execution of a shared‑parking agreement prior to site‑plan approval.

Commissioners questioned whether the private shared‑parking agreement would be finalized before City Council consideration; staff said a draft exists but was not included in the packet because it is a private contract and that holiday scheduling could delay final execution. The planning commission voted to recommend approval of both the drive‑through special‑use permit and the parking variance; their recommendations will be forwarded to the city council for final action.