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Developer seeks reduced buffer and order‑box separation for proposed drive‑thru at Big Bend Road
Summary
A commercial applicant requested variances to reduce the required separation between a drive‑thru order box and residential zoning and to shrink a southern landscape buffer; applicant and supporting property owner argued site configuration and shared access constrain the layout and engineers said buffers and distance to actual multifamily units mitigate impacts.
Riverview area — A developer seeking to build a commercial drive‑thru restaurant at the Big Bend Road/Simmons Loop corner asked the hearing officer for two variances: (1) reduced separation between the drive‑thru order box and adjacent residentially zoned property and (2) a reduced landscape buffer along the southern property line.
Staff (Chris Graham Leonard) recited the LDC requirements: a 200‑foot minimum separation between an order box and residentially zoned property and a 20‑foot landscape buffer where commercial abuts multifamily. The applicant said the parcel was originally commercial and that the adjacent parcel’s rezoning to multifamily in 2021 created the current need for relief; applicant representatives said the order box would be about 200 feet from multifamily units (though closer to the property line) and argued that drive aisles, stormwater areas and existing garages/vegetation would reduce impacts.
The hearing officer asked the applicant to show alternatives and whether the order box could be located farther from residential property; the applicant’s engineer said they had considered options but that drive aisles and shared access constrained placement and that the southern area is primarily a stormwater pond rather than residences. David Dickey, a nearby property owner, testified in support, saying shared access arrangements limit ingress/egress options. The applicant submitted a late letter of support from the multifamily owner.
Staff said the requested reductions could be justified by the site context and conditions; the officer closed the record and will issue a written decision. No formal vote occurs at the hearing — the officer will file a decision within the administrative timeframe.
