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Council holds hearing on allowing drive‑throughs in industrial zones; city staff and applicant back conditional approach
Summary
At a public hearing the council considered Ordinance 2024‑14 to allow drive‑through facilities as a conditionally permitted use in the I‑1 industrial district; planning staff and the applicant said conditional status ensures notice and allows review of stacking/traffic, and councilors pressed staff on queuing and definitions ahead of a vote at a future meeting.
The Green City Council on Jan. 14 held a public hearing on Ordinance 2024‑14, which would add drive‑through facilities to the table of allowed uses as a conditionally permitted use in the I‑1 General Industrial District.
Planning Director Mr. Weethy said the change was prompted by an applicant, Skipper Enterprises, and that the Planning Department and the Planning & Zoning Commission recommended making drive‑throughs conditional rather than automatically permitted. "The planning department... recommended it become conditional so that there are notifications that go out under conditionally permitted use," Mr. Weethy said.
Tom Weesey, representing the Skipper Group and Skipper Enterprises, told council the absence of an express drive‑through allowance in the code appeared to be an oversight for industrial parcels that can host restaurants or banks. "We thought that the lack of a lot of drive thru in that district was actually an oversight in the code," Weesey said. He said he was present to answer questions but that the commission had already discussed the matter.
Council members sought clarification about how the city will regulate stacking and queuing to prevent traffic from spilling onto public roads, and whether separate definitions (for example, a "fast‑food" or dedicated drive‑through category) would reduce ambiguity in the code. Planning staff said their criteria address stacking and parking requirements and that conditional review allows the city to impose conditions to prevent queuing onto thoroughfares.
Per council rules the body may not take final action on this amendment until at least one meeting has passed following the public hearing. The president closed the hearing; staff and council indicated the ordinance will return for further reading and a vote at the council's next regular meeting.
Who said it: Planning Director Mr. Weethy and applicant Tom Weesey provided the primary explanations and answered council questions. No members of the public registered to speak during the hearing.
What comes next: The measure remains on second reading; council will consider a final vote at a future meeting after the required interval.
