Bickford makes case to bring back drive-thrus, but with conditions
Drive-thrus may have at one time been a controversial item on Sackville town council’s agenda, but after a public hearing by Tantramar council on Tuesday afternoon, it’s hard to argue that residents feel strongly one way or another on the issue.
No members of the public showed up for a public hearing on whether or not to lift the 22-year-old ban on new drive-thrus in the town’s highway commercial zones, and no comments were submitted online or by mail through Plan 360. Even the proponent of the bylaw amendment, Rashaid Tufail, owner of the former Pizza Delight building on Mallard Drive, didn’t make an appearance.
The final question on the proposed change will be decided by council in a three separate votes, likely happening over the next two regular council meetings in August and September.
The case for drive-thrus
There’s no indication yet of which way councillors are leaning, but planner Lori Bickford’s report outlines the case for supporting the bylaw change.
Bickford told council Tuesday that the amendments she put forward could address one of the main issues cited in 2001 when drive thrus were originally banned, which was concerns over traffic congestion and confusion at exit 504.
The amendments would allow for drive-thrus as a permitted use in highway commercial zones, but would include design standards and also a requirement for a traffic impact study to be conducted, paid for by the developer, and submitted to Plan 360.… Continue
No discussion of proposed drive-thru change; council to decide on process on June 13
When it meets again in three weeks, Tantramar council will decide whether or not to entertain a proposal to change Sackville’s zoning by-law to allow drive-thru restaurants in highway commercial zones at exits 504 and 506.
The owner of the former Pizza Delight building on Mallard Drive (a numbered company owned by Rashaid Tufail) made the application for the by-law change through Plan 360.
On Tuesday afternoon at council’s committee of the whole meeting, CAO Jennifer Borne presented a brief report on the proposed zoning change written by planner Lori Bickford, who was absent. After the report, Mayor Andrew Black instructed councillors to limit their questions to clarification purposes only. Black told councillors that the motion to either “start the process or kill it immediately” would come at their next regular meeting. But although councillors will face that decision on June 13, Black indicated “any bigger questions about what this means for that location will be asked in a public engagement session through the planning process, if it gets to that point.”
In a later interview Black acknowledged those instructions seem to be in contrast to the goal of committee of the whole meetings to allow for open discussion by councillors. He explained that his instructions came out of concern that with neither the proponent nor planner Lori Bickford present, answers to questions might not be available.… Continue