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Resident urges council to block downtown drive‑through in Hyper Energy Bar appeal
Summary
A downtown resident told the Des Moines City Council the proposed Hyper Energy Bar site plan would bring a drive‑through incompatible with downtown zoning, raising unresolved traffic and railroad safety questions ahead of an appeal hearing.
Carol Maher, a downtown resident, addressed the council during the public comment portion on July 13 and urged members to preserve downtown zoning by opposing a proposed drive‑through at the Hyper Energy Bar site.
Maher noted the city previously approved sale of the parcel for $550,000 and said the plan‑and‑zoning commission had tied on the site plan, leaving the council to decide the appeal in three weeks. "The hearing in 3 weeks is to override the decision made by the plan and zoning commission," she said.
Maher argued downtown zoning strictly prohibits drive‑throughs and warned the proposal would erode downtown character. "Do I want to bring an Ankeny product to Downtown Des Moines? Remember, Downtown Des Moines is not Ankeny," she said.
She also listed outstanding technical concerns raised by city traffic and transportation staff, including queuing, turn lanes and the bike lane that fronts the property, and said the applicant had not yet coordinated with the railroad that runs through the parcel. "How can you approve a site plan when the question of basic safety of residents has not been addressed?" she asked.
The chair noted the appeal will be heard in three weeks; council members and staff will have the opportunity to review any supplemental traffic or safety analyses before the hearing.
No formal council action on the Hyper Energy Bar site plan occurred during this meeting; the public comment was recorded and the appeal hearing remains scheduled.
