Business & Tech

University Place Taking Another Look At Drive-Throughs At Town Center

University Place patch also posed the question and, boy, did it get a conversation going.

It's a question of convenience versus walkability.

When University Place began to develop its vision for Town Center more than a decade ago, the community agreed that it wanted the city's new downtown — which it would fill with stores, shops and condos — to be pedestrian-friendly. They wanted visitors to stop, park and explore the area between 35th Avenue and Bridgeport Way West.

. (The ones that were already there could stay)

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For a community that had seen some of its main thoroughfares, including Bridgeport and Grandview Drive, turn into mini-drag strips because of a lack of traffic control prior to incorporation, public sentiment was on their side.

At least at the time.

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Fast-forward to today, and the dynamics of Town Center have changed. A bad economy, wrangles with potential developers and other factors have delayed the city's original timeline to build its new downtown. It hasn't secured any businesses for the new project, save for an .

Now, the city is looking at whether the drive-through ban deserves reconsideration. During a study session last month, the University Place City Council discussed the restriction and decided to send the issue to its planning commission.

Among those who joined the discussion last month was prominent developer Nat Franklin, the guy behind the Green Firs Village shopping center on the west side of Bridgeport. It houses the uber-popular store.

He told the city leaders that the ban on drive-through businesses would hurt UP's chances of attracting new businesses, especially in the areas around Town Center. Given the Northwest's rain and climate and UP's relative isolation, the area is not an ideal locale for a "lifestyle center," he said.

"Why can't you have a walkable situation, but at the same time have some functionality?" Franklin asked.

So University Place Patch posed the question to you, the readers, via this website and our Facebook page.

The issue garnered lots of feedback, . We also talked to one UP business owner, . (Watch our interview with her by clicking on the attached video)

has a car hop where customers pull up on the side of the shop and workers come out to take their order. However, people don't always get how a car hop works. 

"We have six, seven customers who drive away every single day because if there is not a speaker or something definitive or a window it becomes confusing," Dimock said.

It appears most UP Patch users who responded wouldn't mind allowing new drive-through businesses, but we'll let you be the judge.

 

Here are some of the responses Patch visitors gave:

User Cindy Renander:

"I see a few big positives to drive-throughs and only one negative.

Positive: More attractive to business, which is our number one priority for the budget, due to our heavily tilted tax system weighed toward sales tax.

Positive: Family friendly. I'm about to have my 3rd kid, so I can tell you from experience that I have chosen drive-through options more often because of the hassle of getting everyone out.

Negative: Less walkable. Yes, it's less walkable, but we've got a great walkable destination already (the Chambers Bay trail), so let's make it easy for them to stop on the way to or from the trail."

User Chris Anderson:

"Absolutely! Let's not alienate businesses that could provide revenue to an already financially strapped city. I guess the actual question to ask should be 'Would you USE a drive through in Town(e) Center?'"

User Howard and Barbara Lee:

"Allowing drive-through business does not mean they make the area unfriendly to walkers. McDonald's at Green Firs has a drive through window that doesn't impede walkers. The bottom line is that the original vision of Town(e) Center remains, 10+ years later just that, a vision. It's time, actually past time to rethink how the shopping center should look."

User Stephen:

"People and cars have existed together for hundreds of thousands of years, there's no reason to believe that just because businesses have drive-thrus that pedestrians will suddenly be mowed down in staggering numbers."

User Jonathan Bird:

"In a walkable downtown the entrance to the business is right off the sidewalk. Pedestrians do not have to hop fences or cross vast expanses of parking lot patronize a business. Notice the new commercial building at 40th and bridgeport that replaced the chevron. The businesses abut the street. The parking is in the back. It is multi-story. That is a building built for a walkable community. Where do you put a drive through on this type of building that doesn't impede foot traffic?"

User Lorna Smith:

"I have always thought that drive-throughs should be allowed. I would use a driveup pharmacy window if RiteAid had one. It was looked at a few years ago, and I thought it should be allowed and said so. Even large downtowns have driveup banking such as in downtown Tacoma. There are ways to do it without having a visibility problem. Even the new UP Library will have a driveup bookdrop. So, I think it should be allowed for the businesses. We are lucky to have any new businesses and the city needs to encourage that by having less restrictions. Unfortunately, the Council majority didn't see things that way. I used to have a shop in UP when we were still under the County. Now, we have all kinds of things that discourage new businesses from coming in. I know that the "Town Center" area that the city owns has less restrictions as far as development fees go than other areas of town. They should have the same rules for all!"


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