Attachment 3- Issue Drive Through �\ T Y
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CITY OF CIIANHASSEN
Chanhassen is a Community for Life-Providing for Today and Planning for Tomorrow
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MEMORANDUM
TO: Todd Gerhardt, City Manager
FROM: MacKenzie Walters, Assistant Planner
DATE: September 25, 2017
SUBJ: Drive Throughs - Stacking and Conditional Use Permit
ISSUE:
Numerous entities have expressed interest in developing properties to incorporate drive through
facilities. Recent work by Spack Consulting has indicated that the stacking lengths required by
the city may be inadequate. Additionally, the potential impacts of multiple drive through
facilities in relatively close proximity and unique requirements of different businesses may
warrant these uses being classified as conditional uses which provide mechanisms to require
traffic studies and mitigate the potential impacts of a proposed facility.
BACKGROUND
On March 1St, 2017 engineering staff was made aware of research conducted by Spack
Consulting indicating that the city's minimum standards for vehicle stacking at drive through
locations is significantly lower than the amount of stacking space these uses typically require.
Additionally, Planning Staff has received numerous inquiries about the possibility of developing
properties throughout Chanhassen, especially in the downtown Central Business District, to
include drive through facilities.
Staff believes that it would be beneficial to examine and update the sections of the City Code
that address drive through faciliites in order to insure that these proposed developments have
adequate stacking and do not negatively impact local traffic patterns.
RELEVANT CITY CODE
Sec. 20-963. Drive-through facilities: Restricts location, and establishes screening ad stacking
requirements for Fast-food restaurants (6 cars per aisle), Banks (three cars per aisle, Pharmacies
(2 cars per aisle), and other uses (2 cars per aisle). Also provides that the city may request a
stacking study to determine if more or less stacking is appropriate.
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Todd Gerhardt
Drive Throughs- Stacking and Conditional Use Permit
September 25, 2017
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Note: Drive through facilities are theoretically allowed in any of the city's commercial districts,
assuming setback, screening, and location requirements are met.
Sec. 20-296. Fast-food restaurants: Limits these to sites having direct access to minor arterial
streets, collectors, or service roads. Requires drive-through stacking to conform to parking
setbacks.
Sec. 20-694. —Conditional uses (Neighborhood Business District): Lists drive-in banks as a
conditional use.
Sec. 20 Article XXV.-Landscaping and Tree Removal: Stipulates screening/landscape
requirements for drive through facilities.
Sec. 20-1303. Highway, general business districts, and central business districts: allows each
restaurant with a drive-through facility to have one menu board sign(max 8' high, 45 sq. ft.).
DRIVE THROUGHS IN KFS CITIES:
Chaska: Not specifically addressed.
Cottage Grove: All must have stacking space for 6 vehicles, and stacking area must not interfere
with the site's traffic circulation(ped and auto). For Restaurants: Screen provisions, lighting
limits, require traffic and parking"not to cause public nuisance". For Banks: limited to two drive
aisles. Drive through: Car Wash, Bank, and Restaurants are all conditional uses.
Elk River: Banks must have stacking for 2 vehicles and restaurants must have stacking 5
vehicles. Limits placed on drive through signage by district.
Inver Grove Heights: Requires screening/buffer for all drive through,requires "adequate"
stacking paces to prevent traffic conflicts.
Lino Lakes: Carwash must have 10 stacking spaces. Conditional use in some districts requiring
120' of stacking must not interfere with onsite traffic circulation, and screening.
Prior Lake: Conditional use(CBD): Max 4 lanes, rear or side, all stacking on site. Others: buffer,
stacking space for 6-4 cars per service point(depending on district), traffic study showing will
not reduce level of service, good internal traffic circulation, access to collector or arterial
Rosemount: Conditional Use (bank): screening, stacking should not interfere with traffic
circulation, Conditional Use (general): minimum of 6 stacking spaces per window (9' wide by
18' long), screening, staking shouldn't interfere with traffic circulation,
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Drive Throughs- Stacking and Conditional Use Permit
September 25, 2017
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Savage: Must not interfere with onsite traffic circulation, "adequate" stacking must be provided,
conditional in some districts.
Shakopee: Conditional or permitted used (depending on district): shall be screened, stacking
space for 6 vehicles per aisle,must not interfere with onsite traffic circulation,
Stillwater: Special Use permit, 10 stacking spaces required (restaurants),
ANALYSIS
Due to their speed and convenience drive through facilities have the capacity to generate a large
number of trips, especially during peak periods. This can lead to them having a significant
impact on surrounding properties and intersections as cars maneuver in and out of the site. This
impact can be further amplified if the drive through location lacks sufficient stacking space to
accommodate waiting vehicles. Insufficient stacking space can lead to cars blocking and
occupying onsite parking stalls, entrances and exits, and, in extreme cases, can spill over into the
surrounding streets. Either the high number of trips associated with these uses or inadequate
stacking space can cause the level of service for surrounding streets to drop to unacceptable
levels.
Recent research conducted by Spack Consulting has led them to recommending a minimum
amount of vehicle storage for common drive through businesses. A comparison of their
recommendations and the requirements of the Chanhassen City Code is provided in the
following table. In general the city's requirements are around half of what Spack's research
recommends.
Use Chanhassen City Code Spack Recommendation
Banks 3 vehicles 8 vehicles (160 feet)
Car Washes 2 vehicles 7 vehicles (140 feet)
Coffee Shops 6 vehicles 13 vehicles (260 feet)
Fast Food 6 vehicles 12 vehicles (240 feet)
Pharmacies 2 vehicles 5 vehicles (100 feet)
Examining a list of ten comparable cities, staff discovered a large degree of variation in vehicle
stacking requirements. Sufficient space, approximately 120', for stacking 6 vehicles was the
most common requirement; however, some communities required as few as 2 or as many as 10
stacking spaces. Several cities simply required that"adequate" stacking be provided.
Provisions requiring that the drive through aisles not interfere with the site's traffic circulation
were nearly universal;however, when drive through facilities are classified as permitted uses the
Cities have much lower capacity to mitigate their potential impacts. Cities can find themselves in
a position where they strongly suspect that the proposed drive through will have a negative
impact on surrounding intersections,but are unable to require the developer to take actions to
Todd Gerhardt
Drive Throughs- Stacking and Conditional Use Permit
September 25, 2017
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mitigate these impacts. These types of concerns have led seven of the ten cities to classify drive
through facilities as a conditional or special use for at least one district
Chanhassen's treatment of drive through facilities' stacking and screening requirements is
similar to surrounding communities, although our requirements for banks, car washes, and
pharmacies are on the lowest end of the spectrum. In most cases drive through facilities are a
permitted use in Chanhassen.
Recently, a proposed fast food development submitted a site plan showing stacking for up to 23
cars. This equates to an aisle space nearly four times what is required by city ordinance. Staff
believes that the extent of this discrepancy is illustrative of the fact that the city's minimum
stacking requirements for fast food uses are very low. Engineering staff has concluded that the
existing standards for fast food and coffee shops are significantly low and that the Spack
recommendations would be appropriate for those uses.
Engineering staff has reviewed the Spack study's recommendations and has determined that their
recommendations for banks, car washes, and pharmacies are likely higher than necessary based
on our experience. They believe that increasing the requirements for these uses by 50% of the
difference between the existing standard and the city's current requirement would be appropriate.
ALTERNATIVES
1) Do nothing. Our requirements are broadly in line with other communities and we can
require a traffic study for problematic sites.
2) Adopt the Spack Recommendations, make drive through facilities, a conditional use,
and add a condition that they can use a traffic study to justify lower requirements.
3) Adopt the Spack Recommendations with staff's modifications,but do not make drive
through facilities a conditional use.
4) Adopt the Spack Recommendations with staff's modifications and make drive
through facilities a conditional use.
RECOMMENDAION
Staff believes alternative four would let us adopt the most appropriate standards and most
effectively mitigate the potential impact of drive throughs.
The proposed Code Amendments would read as follows:
ARTICLE IV. - CONDITIONAL USES Ll
Sec. 20-292. - Reserved. Drive through facilities
Drive-through facilities for any use shall comply with the following standards:
(1) They shall not be located adjacent to any residential lot lines.
(2) They shall be provided with a suitable visual screen from adjacent properties.
(3) Stacking shall be provided within applicable parking lot setbacks.
Todd Gerhardt
Drive Throughs- Stacking and Conditional Use Permit
September 25, 2017
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(4) Stacking shall meet the following standards:
a. Banks: 5 vehicles (100 feet)
b. Coffee Shops: 13 vehicles (260 feet)
c. Fast-food restaurant: 12 vehicles (240 feet)
d. Pharmacy: 4 vehicles (80 feet)
e. Car washes: 4 vehicles (80 feet)
f. Other uses: 4 vehicles (80 feet)
(5) The city may require a vehicle stacking study to determine whether more or less
stacking shall be required for a particular use.
(6) Stacking areas shall not interfere with vehicular circulation in the parking lot, nor
encroach into any required drive aisles.
(7) Speaker or intercom system shall not be audible at the property line.
Sec. 20-296. - Fast-food restaurants.
The following applies to fast-food restaurants:
(1) The site shall be located only on sites having direct access to minor arterial streets,
collectors or service roads.
(2) No outside speaker systems shall be allowed without approval from the city council.
(3) Stacking areas for drive-through windows, if present, shall conform to appropriate
parking setbacks.
(4) Building shall be set back at least 100 feet and screened from any adjacent property
designated for residential use in the comprehensive plan.
ARTICLE XVI. - "BN" NEIGHBORHOOD BUSINESS DISTRICT
Sec. 20-694. - Conditional uses.
The following are conditional uses in a "BN" District:
(1) Bed and breakfast establishments.
(2) Convenience store with gas pumps.
(3) Drive in banks including automated kiosks. Drive through facilities
(4) Fast food restaurants without a drive-through as part of a shopping center.
(5) Motor fuel station.
(6) Reserved.
(7) Standard restaurants.
ARTICLE XVII. - "BH" HIGHWAY AND BUSINESS SERVICES DISTRICT
Sec. 20-712. - Permitted uses.
The following uses are permitted in a "BH" district:
(1) Antennas as regulated by article XXX of this chapter.
(2) Car wash.
(3) Community center.
(4) Convenience stores without gas pumps.
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Drive Throughs- Stacking and Conditional Use Permit
September 25, 2017
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(5) Day care center.
(6) Fast-food restaurant.
(7) Financial institutions with/or without drive through services.
(8) Funeral homes.
(9) Health services.
(10)Liquor stores.
(11)Miniature golf.
(12)Motels and hotels.
(13)Offices.
(14)Personal services.
(15)Private clubs and lodges.
(16)Reserved.
(17)Shopping center.
(18)Specialty retail shops.
(19)Standard restaurants.
(20)Utility services.
Sec. 20-714. - Conditional uses.
The following are conditional uses in a "BH" district:
(1) Automobile rental facilities.
(2) Automotive repair shops.
(3) Convenience stores with gas pumps.
(4) Drive through facilities
(4)(5) Emission control testing stations.
(5(6) Garden centers.
(6)(7) Motor fuel stations.
(7)(8) Outdoor storage.
(8)(9) Reserved.
x(10) Small vehicle sales.
0$)(11) Supermarkets.
(1 1)(12) Towers as regulated by article XXX of this chapter.
ARTICLE XVIII. - "CBD" CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT
Sec. 20-734. - Conditional uses.
The following are conditional uses in a "CBD" district:
(1) Reserved. Drive through facilities
(2) Freestanding fast-food restaurants.
(3) Reserved.
(4) Convenience store with gas pumps.
ARTICLE XVIII-A. - "CC" COMMUNITY COMMERCIAL DISTRICT
Sec. 20-744. - Conditional use.
(1) Drive through facilities
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(2) Gun range, indoor(only in conjunction with and accessory to a sporting goods store).
(3) Screened outdoor storage.
ARTICLE XIX. - "BG" GENERAL BUSINESS DISTRICT
Sec. 20-752. - Permitted uses.
The following uses are permitted in a "BG" district:
(1) Animal hospital.
(2) Antenna.
(3) Bars and taverns.
(4) Bowling center.
(5) Community center.
(6) Convenience stores without gas pumps.
(7) Day care center.
(8) Entertainment.
(9) Fast-food restaurants.
(10)Financial institutions, including drive in service.
(11)Funeral homes.
(12)Garden centers.
(13)Hardware goods.
(14)Health and recreation clubs.
(15)Health services.
(16)Home improvement trades building supply centers.
(17)Miniature golf.
(18)Motels.
(19)Newspaper and print shop.
(20)Offices.
(21)Personal services.
(22)Private clubs and lodges.
(23)Reserved.
(24)Senior citizen housing.
(25)Small appliance and similar repair shops.
(26)Specialty retail.
(27)Standard restaurants.
(28)Supermarkets.
(29)Utility services.
(30)Veterinary clinic.
Sec. 20-754. - Conditional uses.
The following are conditional uses in a "BG" district:
(1) Reserved. Drive through facilities
(2) Truck, automobile, farm implement,recreational vehicles and boat sales and service.
(3) Equipment rental.
(4) Screened outdoor storage.
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Drive Throughs- Stacking and Conditional Use Permit
September 25, 2017
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(5) Major auto repair and body shops.
(6) Convenience stores with gas pumps.
(7) Motor fuel stations.
Sec. 20-963. - Drive through facilities. Reserved
Drive through facilities for any use shall comply with the following standards:
(1) They shall not be located adjacent to any residential lot lines.
(2) They shall be provided with a suitable visual screen from adjacent properties.
(3) Stacking shall be provided within applicable parking lot setbacks.
(1) Stacking shall meet the following standards:
a. Fast food restaurant: Six cars per aisle.
b. Banks: Three cars per aisle.
c. Pharmacy: Two cars per aisle.
d. All other uses: Two cars per aisle.
(5) The city may require a vehicle stacking study to determine whether more or less stacking
shall be required for a particular use.
encroach into any required drive aisles.
(7) Speaker or intercom system shall not be audible at the property line.
(Ord. No. 474, § 17, 10 13 08)
Sec. 20-1303. - Highway, general business districts and central business districts.
(4) Menu board. One menu board sign per restaurant drive through aisle use is permitted
with a drive-through facility. Such sign shall not exceed 45 square feet in size,nor greater
than eight feet in height. Such sign is permitted in addition to any other sign permitted in
the zoning district.
Staff requests direction on how best to address these concerns.
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