A Calgary developer will ask Black Diamond town councillors this week to reconsider allowing a drive-thru at a Tim Hortons restaurant proposed for the community.
Council turned down Jaymont Developers’ request to amend its land use bylaw to allow a drive-thru in the town’s northeast in a 4-3 vote in February over concerns from residents and merchants regarding idling, the risk of a popular coffee and donut shop taking business away from existing merchants and the restaurant changing the character of the town. The proposed site is on the corner of Highway 7 and 3rd Street NE.
Council had approved Jaymont’s request to change the property’s land use rules to allow retail and personal service businesses in February, but it would not allow a drive-thru at the site.
At a public hearing in February, residents said a drive-thru would go against the town’s green initiatives, while others expressed concerns a chain restaurant could put small businesses, of which make up the majority of the commercial sector, at risk of closure.
Jason Williams, Jaymont Developers principal, said a Tim Hortons without a drive thru isn’t an option for Black Diamond.
“With that small market, a drive thru is required,” he said. “That’s (Tim Hortons’) message.”
Over the last few months the developer has been speaking with council and Town officials about changing the plan in the hopes of securing approval for a drive-thru.
“We are going to go back and just see what happens,” said Williams. “We’ve done some additional communicating with the councillors. After we met in the summer they might feel different.”
During their discussions, Williams said Jaymont Developers agreed to comply with the boomtown design required for new commercial development in Black Diamond and changed the building plan to allow for a drive-thru with two order stations and two lanes to reduce wait times and congestion.
Despite the changes, Jaymont may be faced with another potential roadblock.
Last month, the Towns of Black Diamond and Turner Valley agreed to develop a municipal growth study and joint Municipal Development Plan to guide expansion in the communities.
As a result, most rezoning decisions will be postponed in Black Diamond until the plan is complete, said Rod Ross, the Town’s planning and development officer. He said the process could take more than a year and the developer can make the request as many times as he pleases.
“The towns are going to do some big-picture long-term visioning, looking at how we want the towns to grow and what we want the towns to be like,” he said. “Part of that conversation is going to be around the role of commercial development and the role of the downtowns and where we want commercial development to be located and how we want it to look at feel.”
Ross said the Municipal Planning Commission is recommending council not decide on Jaymont’s request until the MDP is established.
“Given the fact the town is going to be embarking on this long-term vision, they felt that conversation needs to be had before they can be comfortable making a recommendation on this application for a drive in,” he said.
Ross said he agrees with the commission’s recommendation.
“I feel that given how this issue has divided the community and given the need for a larger conversation around the role of commercial development in town and given the fact that we’re going to be moving forward on this plan, I think we really need to go through that process when we make that decision,” he said.
The public will again have a chance to comment on the proposed Tim Hortons drive-thru at council’s regular meeting on Dec. 3 at 7:30 p.m.
Council is expected to make a decision later that night.
