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SALT LAKE CITY — Members of the Salt Lake City Council are inching closer to a decision on whether to ban new drive-thru service at the busy and crowded Sugar House Business District.
The proposed city code amendment would outlaw drive-thru service at financial institutions, restaurants, retail goods and retail service establishments within the district, which are currently permitted to have this option.
The proposed ban, which the council is tentatively slated to vote on next month, would only apply to the district, a section of the Salt Lake neighborhood that is located from 2100 South and 900 East to 1300 East and I-80. All existing businesses with drive-thru options, such as the Chick-fil-A on 2100 South in the area or the Zions Bank on Highland Drive, would be grandfathered into the old rule.
During an informational meeting Tuesday, Mayara Lima, Salt Lake City's zoning administrator, told the council the change would mirror restrictions in downtown Salt Lake City, where drive-thru options are also banned.
"The use does not align with the purpose statement of the district," she said, explaining why the Salt Lake City Planning Commission initiated a petition to ban new drive-thrus. "(The statement) mentions promoting a walkable community with a transit-oriented mixed-use town center that can support a 24-hour population."
The issue has already received some feedback since a notice about the proposed code change was sent to the Sugar House Community Council and Sugar House Chamber of Commerce in February. The idea mostly gained support among about a half-dozen comments made during a Sugar House Community Council zoning committee meeting in March.
The planning commission approved the measure with a 10-1 vote in April.
Residents said drive-thrus are convenient, may offer better business access for people with disabilities and were viewed as a beneficial public health option during COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, Lima said. Others said they offer little value to those without access to a vehicle and can clog up both roads and sidewalks.
There are also workarounds to the ban, which some downtown businesses have implemented. These include parking for online pick-up orders or a walk-up window — on top of delivery options.
Lima added that a new restaurant could operate a drive-thru if it replaced an existing restaurant that closed down, but it would have to go to an appeals officer if it replaced a bank location with a drive-thru. However, this carryover can also be abandoned if the building is vacant for more than a year and isn't marketed for use, she said.
The council will still have time to mull over the change. A public hearing on the proposal is slated for Aug. 8 before a possible vote on Aug. 15. Yet some members of the council appeared to lean in favor of adopting the ordinance following the presentation.
"I think this is great," said Salt Lake Council Chairman Darin Mano. "I think there are parts of our community where drive-thrus make sense and I think Sugar House is not one of them anymore. It really does back out onto the street."
Correction: A previous version misspelled Mano's last name as Marin.
