The Cottonwood Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously approved the design review and conditional use permit for a drive-through for a proposed Burger King during its meeting on Monday, March 18.
The site is a 0.9-acre parcel at 888 S. Main St. located in a C-1 light commercial zone; it was formerly occupied by the Ming House restaurant building, which was demolished several years ago.
The proposed restaurant will have 32 parking spots. The property owners will be required to manage the noise from the drive-through speakers so as not to disturb neighboring properties. They will also be required to install landscaping that will act as a buffer for noise from the drive-through and for headlight glare.
The adjacent properties are currently used for office, retail and church space. The drive-through’s hours of operation are planned to run from 6 a.m. to 1 a.m.
Commissioner Bob Rothrock inquired about whether the speakers would disturb residents of the nearby apartments. Staff replied that the system is over 150 feet away from the residential area and that they have an instrument to measure sound that they can use if they receive any complaints. Rothrock also wanted to ensure that the large trees on the property will not be taken down.
The applicant, Mark Gable, said that the speaker system has a volume control and that he did not foresee an issue with noise. He also said that he intends to keep the trees.
Commissioner Michael DuVernay said he was concerned with what the restaurant will do to the already busy intersection of Camino Real and Main Street, and Chairwoman Lindsay Masten said she would be interested in adding a stipulation to prevent left-hand turns onto Main Street, as she felt it was a safety issue. City staff said that prohibiting left turns would be the Arizona Department of Transportation’s responsibility.
Gable said that his company did an extensive study with ADOT and the department will not be requiring a deceleration lane or a porkchop to prevent left turns.
“I think it’s a good use of that space that’s been empty for at least three years,” Commissioner James Glascott said.
Masten said that while she favored fixing up the dead lot and having infill, she was concerned about the traffic. She said that there are quick service coffee places just up the street that have had multiple accidents from customers making right-hand turns in a similar situation.
Gable replied that ADOT had looked at accidents in the area and decided to let them move forward with the project after finding a deceleration lane was unnecessary.
