The proposed ordinance, which was forwarded to the council by the planning commission, allows only banks and pharmacies to have drive-thrus at the center and restricts drive-thrus to two locations on the fringes of the center where traffic is heaviest.
City officials are telling staff that allowing drive-thrus may help spur development, said senior planner David Ginther.
“We’re not seeing the Town Center develop, so maybe this would start the ball rolling,” he said.
One business is interested in building at the center but is inquiring about drive-thrus.
Washington State Employees Credit Union has looked to build a branch on land owned by the Port of Olympia near the corner of Capital Boulevard and Tumwater Boulevard, according to a letter addressed to the council from Mike Sanders, vice president of facility services.
Sanders wrote that the credit union’s other location in Tumwater doesn’t have a drive-thru because of site issues, but says it is the top request from customers. Not having a drive-thru at a future Town Center location could be a sticking point for WSECU.
“This potential change of use in Town Center is of particular interest to WSECU and may influence our decision to move our project forward and build a branch at this location,” he wrote.
Port commissioners wrote to the council in June expressing their support for allowing drive-thru uses in the Town Center.
Ginther said the credit union is in the feasibility stage of its proposal.
The restriction on drive-thrus at Town Center stems from an advisory committee decision about 10 years ago. It concluded that the city’s vision for the business area was for a pedestrian-oriented space.
In 2004, the Port of Olympia, which owns property at the center, asked for a change, citing a bank that shied away from the center because of the restriction.
The Tumwater Planning Commission took up the issue in 2007, but voted 4-3 against allowing exceptions, citing concerns that proposed guidelines “did not adequately address the maximum size or number of uses to allow in the town center area,” according to a staff report.
But with a sagging economy, it was time to compromise and find ways to get development moving at the center, said Debbie Sullivan, chairwoman of the city planning commission.
“As time moves on, things don’t go the way everyone envisions,” she said. Sullivan added that allowing drive-thrus only on the fringes and near busier streets wouldn’t interfere with the center’s vision of being pedestrian-friendly.
She said the new proposal is more restrictive than the 2007 proposal, with fewer areas that would allow drive-thrus.
Other major requirements in the ordinance:
• Walk-in sales and/or service must also be provided.
• Locations are limited to the northeast corner of Tumwater Boulevard and Linderson Way and the three properties at the western corner of Tumwater Boulevard and Capitol Boulevard.
• Windows and queuing lanes shall not be located between the building and the adjacent streets.
Pedestrian safety is also a factor, Ginther said.
The update is also being used to address city-wide drive-thru standards. Proposed are requirements dealing with lane capacity and location, pedestrian crossings and access to businesses from the street or sidewalk.
Nate Hulings: 360-754-5476
nhulings@theolympian.com
www.theolympian.com/outsideoly
