MESA, Ariz. — A list of new design standards in the City of Mesa are expected to reign in the supposed negative impact of having clusters of drive-thru lanes.
On Monday, the city council introduced an ordinance that outlines a set of new regulations drafted by city staff after completing a two-year project researching drive-thru facilities throughout the East Valley.
The city aimed to create new requirements that will prevent new businesses with drive-thru lanes from causing traffic problems or disrupting residential communities.
The introduced regulations include the following:
- Requires businesses with drive-thru lanes to obtain a council use permit in certain land districts
- Clarifies the definition between drive-thru facilities and pick-up window facilities
- Requires drive-thru businesses to conduct an onsite circulation and stacking study
- Imposes a 100-foot distance between a pick-up window and the entry to the pick-up window lane
- Imposes a 50-foot distance between entry to a drive-thru lane to street access
- Imposes a 100-foot setback between a drive-thru lane/pick-up window and a residential-zoned
property - Imposes a 40-foot distance between an ATM window and entry to the queuing lane.
- Requires a drive-thru business with employees taking orders outside to build pedestrian pathways and shade structures for those employees.
City staff believe the design changes align with Mesa's goals of building safe, vibrant communities.
"These proposed text amendments are designed to bring Mesa’s regulations in line with those of surrounding jurisdictions, provide design standards to better regulate facilities, and better comply with the intent of Mesa’s zoning districts," a city staff report states.
But some Mesa residents don't think the changes go far enough to prevent drive-thru businesses from causing problems in the city.
"I shouldn't be surprised that the City of Mesa has once again caved to developers and their insatiable quest to cheapen this city to (maximize) profit," a resident wrote in a letter of opposition.
Some residents feel the ordinance doesn't protect enough land in Mesa from being developed into future drive-thru businesses.
"Do we really want to live in a City with one-fifth of our land is used for drive-thrus? Home values would plummet as Mesa would gain the title of 'Fast Food Capital of Arizona'... or maybe of America," another resident wrote in a letter to the city.
According to the city's data, Mesa has 5.07 drive-thrus for every 10,000 residents – a per capita rate that is higher than the rates in Gilbert and Scottsdale but lower than Chandler's.
Before the council introduced the drive-thru ordinance, the Mesa Planning and Zoning Board rejected the proposed changes during a meeting last month.
The council will review the drive-thru ordinance again on Oct. 16. If approved, the ordinance's amendments take effect on Nov. 15.