OLDS — The Municipal Planning Commission (MPC) has tentatively approved a proposal to convert an old car wash building into a small restaurant and coffee shop with a drive-thru lane.
The proposal, by applicant/owner Michael Reynolds/Adelphia Holdings Inc., came up during MPC’s Jan. 21 meeting via Zoom.
It may come up for further discussion during MPC’s February meeting.
The restaurant would be located near the corner of 57th Avenue and Highway 27 in the old Shell car wash building. The structure is just east of a former Shell station that was converted into a liquor store a few years ago.
Development officer Kyle Sloan said planning staff were concerned about traffic problems the business could create along Highway 27, so they pushed for the entrance to the restaurant and drive-thru to be via 50th Street instead of Highway 27.
However, Councillors Mary Jane Harper and Mary Anne Overwater were skeptical that would work. They suspected drivers would take the easier route, coming off of Highway 27.
“I hope this is successful; don’t get me wrong. But we already have terrible traffic congestion on Highway 27 as a result of another drive-thru further up the road, to the east,” Harper said.
“And we may think that you’ve solved the problem where people are not going to come off Highway 27 to get to that drive-thru. We’re wrong. Not going to happen. Because people will do it.”
Overwater pressed for a sign to be erected saying that a portion of the lot leading onto Highway 27 is an exit only.
Normally under town rules, the restaurant would have to have five “stacking spaces” for vehicles to queue up behind both the service window and the menu and speaker.
However, at 6.5 metres per space, there isn’t room for that along this building, so the applicant asked the commission for an exception to provide four stacking spaces.
Harper worried there might not be enough parking stalls for restaurant patrons who dine in.
However, Sloan said there does appear to be enough room between space near the car wash plus space adjacent to the liquor store.
Overwater asked what would be done to deal with potential garbage. She said complaints have been received about pallets piling up at the liquor store.
Overwater said the liquor store owner had “mostly” solved that problem, but she wanted assurances garbage generated as a result of the restaurant will kept out of sight.
She said that due to its location at the corner of Highway 27 and 57th Avenue, the property is kind of a gateway to the community.
Director of operations Scott Chant said town staff have worked extensively with the applicant.
He said the application brought before MPC last week was the fourth version submitted.
He said the idea to have the access come from 50th Street “lines up” with the Alberta Transportation functional master plan for Highway 27.
Sloan said planners stipulated that the drive-thru lane must be paved within 12 months of development.
“The applicant initially wanted to not pave the drive-thru lane and we did want to make sure that that happened,” he said.
Commission member Dan Peters wondered if a deposit could be required and/or the business licence could be revoked if the lane isn’t paved as required. Sloan and Chant said both options could be pursued if necessary.
After a lengthy discussion, the commission tentatively approved the plan with eight conditions:
• The drive-thru restaurant must be built to plans and conditions set down by the town,
• A minimum of four on-site parking spaces must be provided for the restaurant,
• The drive-thru lane must be paved – not gravelled – to the satisfaction of the planning authority within 12 months of the permit being approved,
• Garbage must be kept within a structure or enclosure approved by the planning authority,
• The development permit may be revoked if the project is not undertaken with “reasonable diligence” within 12 months of the permit being issued,
• A sign must be installed at the owner’s expense clearly stating that access to Highway 27 is an exit only,
• The development permit may be suspended if the development is undertaken in contravention of the terms and conditions of the permit or the town’s land use bylaw, and
• The development must conform to all other applicable requirements of the land use bylaw (except for any variance granted).
Sloan said the business proposal was circulated to eight neighbouring land owners. Town staff didn’t receive any correspondence from any of them for or against it.
