Drive through regulatory changes ok’d

New drive-through services will be allowed in St. Paul, but only in specific locations and under specific conditions. The new regulations take effect this month. City Council members March 4 unanimously approved what is described as a compromise measure, ending years of debate over proposed regulations and two years’ work by district councils, the Planning Commission and council.
St. Paul’s existing drive-through services for restaurants, coffee shops, banks and pharmacies can remain. But more than a dozen of the roughly 75 services are now nonconforming uses. They can also remain open but if closed for more than a year could have a harder time re-establishing their use.

The council decision ends a long debate that centered largely on two controversial area drive-through services, the Snelling-Marshall Starbucks and the North Snelling Taco Bell. The Starbucks drive-through has closed. Taco Bell’s restaurant and drive-through were rebuilt but traffic backups continue at peak times.

Under the changes, new drive-throughs will not be allowed downtown. New drive-through lanes will not be allowed within 660 feet of a light rail, streetcar or bus rapid transit station, or a planned station associated with a fully funded or federally-approved transit project. That’s about one city block. It was a late in process change, from 300 feet.

New drive-throughs for banks, credit unions and pharmacies must be located to the side or rear of buildings, and be at least 60 feet from a residentially-zoned property. A 120-foot distance is required for new food and beverage drive-throughs. There are some exceptions to that distance requirement.
New drive-throughs will be allowed in the traditional neighborhoods three and four mixed-use districts if a building is at least four stories tall and has at least 40,000 square feet of floor area.
Another issue changing governs walk-up windows. New windows may not be located in a space where pedestrians are crossing a vehicular traffic lane. A walk-up window cannot double as a drive-through window.

The changes set new off-street “stacking” requirements, with 14 for coffee shops, 12 for fast-food restaurants and six for pharmacies and banks. Stacking space must be confined to the business property. More stringent language is added to deter motor vehicles from stacking and blocking streets, sidewalks, bike trails and alleys. The longtime regulations required at least four stacking spaces for a drive-through of any kind.

If a compromise is something where no one is totally happy, the City Council may have succeeded. Density and pedestrian advocates wanted to see more restrictions. The Planning Commission had recommended that no new restaurant and coffee shop drive-throughs be allowed.

Business supporters including the city’s Business Review Council, St. Paul Area Chamber of Commerce and Retail Minnesota said the ordinance still creates potential obstacles for new and existing business. Those challenges could include obtaining financing for existing businesses as well as opening new ones.

Attorney Joe Birkholz spoke for the Henry family and the McDonald’s restaurants they own in St. Paul. He noted that while McDonald’s is a global chain, its restaurants have local ownership. “Roughly 75 percent of their business comes from drive-through revenues,” Birkholz said.