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Item No: 05F <br />Meeting Date: July 26, 2019 <br />MOUNDS VfEW <br />Type of Business: Consent <br />City Administrator Review: <br />City of Mounds View Staff Report <br />To: Honorable Mayor and City Council <br />From: Jon Sevald, Community Development Director <br />Item Title/Subject: Second Reading and Adoption of Ordinance 977, an Ordinance <br />Amending the Mounds View Municipal Code, Title XV, Chapter <br />160, Sections 160.198 and 160.218 related to Drive-Thru <br />Businesses <br />Introduction: <br />El Loro Restaurant, 2535 Mounds View Boulevard, has been vacant since 2017. The property <br />is zoned B-4 Regional Business (the only property zoned B-4), which prohibits drive-thru <br />restaurants. Paster Properties (owner) has had some interest from fast-food restaurants. The <br />City's intent is to remove zoning constraints (when warranted) that may be prohibiting <br />redevelopment opportunities. <br />Discussion: <br />Mounds View Square shopping center consists of three buildings. The main building and El <br />Loro are zoned B-4. The Caribou building (formerly Hardee's) is zoned B-3. The B-3 district <br />allows drive-thru's as a Conditional Use Permit (CUP). The B-4 district prohibits them. The <br />original intent when Mounds View Square was developed in 1974 was for a traditional sit-down <br />restaurant (e.g. Bridgeman's, Totino's, El Loro). Since this time, dining habits have changed, <br />favoring fast-food restaurants (e.g. McDonalds, Subway), and fast casual restaurants (e.g. <br />Chipotle, Noodle's & Company). In winter/spring 2020, there was a proposal to remodel El Loro <br />into "Sota Tap House and Grill" (no drive-thru), but was pulled due to the pending Covid-19 <br />pandemic. <br />The proposed Ordinance Amendment changings the term "Drive-in and convenience food <br />establishments" to "Drive-Thru Business". This change would treat any drive-thru the same, <br />whether a restaurant or a pharmacy. Additionally, the amendment removes duplicate language <br />a - k), which refers to other sections of the City Code. In Staff's opinion, this provides a false - <br />sense that the drive-thru must only comply with those regulations referenced, and not others. <br />Analysis: <br />Current City Code B-1 B-2 B-3 B-4 <br />Restaurants, cafes, tea rooms, taverns, on- and off -sale liquor. Permitted Permitted <br />Restaurant, cafe, and tea room with a maximum of twenty four Permitted Permitted Permitted <br />24) seats and two thousand (2,000) square feet in floor area. The <br />restaurant shall not include drive-thru and/or window pick-up <br />services or the serving of food to patrons in their vehicles. <br />Restaurants, cafes and tea rooms with more than twenty four CUP Permitted Permitted <br />24) seats and/or two thousand (2,000) square feet of floor area. <br />The restaurant shall not include drive-thru and/or window pick-up <br />services or the serving of food to patrons in their vehicles. <br />Drive-in and convenience food establishments; provided, that: CUP <br />a. The architectural appearance and functional plan of the <br />building and site shall not be so dissimilar to the existing <br />buildings or area as to cause impairment in property values or <br />constitute a blighting influence within a reasonable distance <br />of the lot.