STANDARDS AND REQUIREMENTS ON DRIVE-THROUGH
ESTABLISHMENTS IN SURROUNDING JURISDICTIONS
Glendale:
The City of Glendale’s Zoning Code doe s not expressly define a drive -through facility.
However, the code include s three separate restauran t use s that cou ld include drive- through facilities: “restaurant, counte r service with limited seating ”; “restaurants, full service”; and “restaurants, fast food”. The restaurant, fast food designation is the only use that includes the term drive-through in its definition.
All three restaurant uses are generally permitted by- right in Glendale’s Commercial and Industrial Zones. However, the fast-food restaurant use is permitted by Administrative Use Permit only in the Neighborhood Commercial (C1) and Commercial Retail (CR) Zones. All three restaurant uses are permitted by right in the Downtown Specific Zone (DSP). While the City of Glendale does permit all three uses by-right within its mixed-use zones, it expressly prohibits fast food restaurants with drive-throughs in the Industrial/ Commercial – Residential Mixed Use (IMU-R) and Commercial/Residential Mixed Use (SFMU) Zones. Full-service restaurants are the only restaurant use permitted in the City’s residential zones and that use is permitted by CUP only.
Though the code does not define drive-throughs, it does provide design and layout standards. The City requires a minimum width of nine (9) feet and a minimum length of one hundred (100) to two hundred (200) feet measured from the service window or area for restaurants (counter service with limited seating, fast food or full service), or a minimum length of sixty (60) feet to one hundred twenty (120) feet for uses other than restaurants (fast food or full service). The City provides further design requirements within the DSP Zone which require drive-through lanes to be enclosed (except for vehicle access openings) and prohibits the increase of curb openings to access off-street parking areas.
As the City’s Zoning code does not distinguish drive-through establishments as its own use, the code does not specifically address requirements for new, replacement, or conversion of drive-throughs of any type (restaurant, bank, pharmacy). Therefore, where permitted, drive-throughs are subject to the same development standards and permitting requirements as the uses they are associated with.
Pasadena:
The City of Pasadena’s Zoning Code distinguishe s between drive-through restaurants and non-restaurants and provides definitions for both. Both uses are generally permitted only by CUP in the City’s Commercial, Industrial, and Mixed-Use Zones, specifically in the CL, CL-2, CG, IG, and EC-MU-G Zones. The City’s Specific Plan regulations are more restrictive, and expressly prohibit new drive-through businesses in the North Lake, South Fair Oaks, and Lincoln Avenue Specific Plans and City does allow existing drive-through ATTACHMENT 5-1
businesses within these Specific Plan areas to increase their services as long as the gross square footage of the business remains unchanged through a CUP process.
Additionally, if an existing drive-through business is completely demolished, a new drive through business can be approved by CUP as long as the square footage of the building is not more than the building proposed to be demolished.
Finally, in addition to the standard CUP requirements the City of Pasadena also has specific development standards for drive-through businesses. The City requires a minimum vehicle requirement for drive-through lanes, requiring space for at least five cars and a buffer of 500 feet from any park and recreation facility, a public or private school, or another fast-food restaurant with drive through service. Additionally, all restaurants proposing drive-through facilities are required to submit a study to determine if longer queuing lanes shall be required by the Zoning Administrator., applicants are required to submit a litter clean-up plan that addresses both on and off-site cleanup and a parking and circulation plan that addresses the safe queuing and maneuvering of vehicles in addition to a detailed site plan. These standards also require that the name of the restaurant be printed on all restaurant-affiliated disposable containers.
Santa Clarita:
The City of Santa Clarita’s code includes a definition fo r a “Drive-Through (no seating) and a “Fast Food with Drive-Through” with the primary difference between the uses being seating and associated parking requirements. Both uses are generally permitted by Minor Use Permits in the commercia l and industria l
zones. Howeve r, in the Neighborhood
Commercial (CN) Zone, the uses are subject to a higher threshold of approval and can on ly be approved with a CUP . Though not exp ressly defined, drive-through automated teller machines include drive-up ATM s at a bank o r financial institution, and stand-alone ATM drive-through s. This use is permitted with an administrat ive permit in the City’s commercial and industrial zones. The Ci ty does not specify drug sto res with associated drive throughs (also not defined) in the use table, however they are permitted by-right in every commercial zone.
The City’s code requires that all drive-through uses have a queuing analysis on file which details the anticipated operations for the existing or proposed drive-through use. Minimum stacking capacity is provided for restaurants with drive-through which requires four cars between the order board and the pick-up window and stacking for six cars behind the order board. A minimum queuing length of 200 feet is required for this use. A bank drive- through requires stacking space for a minimum of five cars for each window or automated teller machine. A drug store drive through requires stacking space for a minimum of three cars for each window. Finally, the code includes requirements for auto uses such as oil change facilities at a minimum of three cars which must be free and clear of the drive aisles and parking areas.
The City’s code addresses all expansion of uses or minor permits modifications.
Depending on the degree of the expansion or modification, the use would be subject to an approval process ranging from a Director’s determination to a Class IV application ATTACHMENT 5-2
which would include applying for a Conditional Use Permit. Therefore, new restaurants with drive-throughs would be subject to the approval process indicated in the use table, while expansion of existing drive through establishments or the conversion thereof would result in an additional approval process. However, it is conceivable that an existing restaurant with drive-through, bank drive through or drug-store drive through can be converted into a restaurant with drive through as long as the use is permitted in the zone and no expansion of the use is proposed.
Long Beach:
At the writing of this staff report, the City of Long Beach is updating its zoning ordinance.
During this update, al l
regulations established in the o ld ordinance app ly to zones established in the new ordinance (Title 22). Therefore the City’s definition of drive through, found only in the old ordinance, can be applied. The City’s code expressly defines drive- through facil ities a s an establishmen t that sell s produ cts o r provide s service s to occupants in vehicles, including drive-in or drive-up windows and drive-through services.
The code identifies three types of drive through facilities: “ATM-Drive Through Machine”, “Financial Services with Drive- Through Windows” , and “Ready -to-Eat Drive Through”.
The ATM-Drive-Through Machine use is no t permitted in an y Zone, while Financial Services with Drive-Through Windo ws a re permitted b y CUP onl y in Mixed Use and Commercial Mixed-Use Zone s. These use s are prohibited in Residential Mixed Use - Zones. Ready-to-Eat Drive-Throughs are permitted in one Commercial-Mixed Use Zone (C3) by CUP only and are prohibited in all other zones.
The City requires a CUP approval for any drive-through facility. As part of the required findings for approval, the facility must include buffering sufficient to control any spillover impacts such as noise, light and debris. In addition, if the facility is located within 150 feet of a residential zone, appropriate limits on hours of operation are required. Finally, the facility cannot be located in an area of existing overconcentration of like facilities and cannot be located within a 500 foot radius of a school or park district unless mitigating factors exist.
The City of Long Beach contains the most restrictive regulations concerning drive-through establishments of all the jurisdictions reviewed. The new ordinance only allows a Ready to Eat Drive-Through in one zone. However, while not specifying drive-through establishments, the code does indicate that any use, now permitted by CUP, that was originally established in a zone by right and has since been reclassified as a discretionary use in that district would need to obtain an administrative or conditional use permit prio r
to expansion of the use or any structure related to the use.
ATTACHMENT 5-3