Title
Drive-Through Restaurants in Olympia: Review of Olympia Municipal Code
Recommended Action
Information only. No action requested.
Report
Issue:
Staff briefing on the review of Olympia's current regulations on restaurant drive-throughs to see if an expansion of permitted use in additional commercial zoning districts is appropriate.
Staff Contact:
Michelle Sadlier, Associate Planner, Community Planning & Development, 360.753.8031
Presenter(s):
Michelle Sadlier, Associate Planner
Background and Analysis:
City of Olympia staff has recently begun reviewing the City's municipal code on drive-through restaurants. This project is a response to questions from developers interested in the potential for new drive-through restaurants in a number of zoning districts where they are currently not permitted. The goal of this analysis is to determine whether the expansion of this use to additional commercial zoning districts meets the vision and intent of Olympia's Comprehensive Plan, related plans, and supporting regulations. If so, a proposed code amendment will be brought forward to the Planning Commission for consideration in the future.
Defining Restaurants with Drive-Throughs
Restaurants with drive-through facilities are defined in the basic provisions section of Olympia's Unified Development Code (OMC 18.02) within the definition for "Restaurant":
A use providing preparation and retail sale of food and beverages, including coffee shops, sandwich shops, ice cream parlors, fast food take-out, espresso stands, and similar uses. A restaurant may include licensed "on-site" provision of alcoholic beverages for consumption on the premises when accessory to such food service. A "drive-in" restaurant is one where all or a significant portion of the consumption takes place or is designed to take place with the patrons remaining in their vehicles while on the premises. A "drive-through" restaurant is one which has one or more drive-through lanes for ordering and di...
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