A Calgary developer is moving ahead with plans to build a popular coffee and donut shop in Black Diamond after town council gave the green light to allow drive-thru service on the proposed site last week.
Jaymont Developers is finalizing the purchase of one and a half acres of undeveloped land on the corner of Highway 7 and 3 Street NE to construct a Tim Hortons.
Council voted 4-3 on Dec. 3 to change the land use bylaw in the district to allow drive-in services on the site.
“We’re pleased with the decision,” said Jaymont Developers principal Jason Williams. “It’s step one so we’re happy. I’m excited to move forward with the project.”
Last week’s approval follows council’s decision last February to change the property’s land use rules to allow retail and personal service businesses, but not drive-thru services.
The decision was made following a public hearing where members of the community expressed concerns that a drive-thru would go against the town’s green initiatives if vehicles are idling while waiting for service and that a popular chain store could harm small businesses, which make up the majority of the commercial sector in Black Diamond.
Williams said Jaymont brought the request for drive-thru service to the Town a second time after addressing citizens idling concerns by changing the drive-thru design to allow for two order stations and two lanes to reduce wait times and congestion.
At a Dec. 3 public hearing, five people spoke on the issue - one opposed, three in favour and one undecided. The Town received 11 letters in favour of the drive-thru request and two opposed.
Among those opposed is Tea Shoppe Café co-owner Jacquie Gabriel, whose business is located across the street from the proposed Tim Hortons. She opened her café a year and a half ago.
“I can’t compete with Tim Horton’s prices,” she said.
Gabriel said she is concerned how a large chain store like Tim Hortons could impact local businesses and about the lack of pedestrian crossing and sidewalks along Highway 22 near the proposed location.
“I’m disappointed in the Town, but at the same time I understand where they are coming from,” she said. “I’m going to take it as it comes and do what we can. We can’t fight it.”
Gabriel said her cafe will keep a competitive edge by continuing to prepare foods made on site with no genetically-modified ingredients.
Black Diamond Mayor Sharlene Brown said she didn’t support Jaymont’s request at last week’s council on the recommendation of the Town’s Municipal Planning Commission (MPC).
The MPC recommended council not make a decision until the Towns of Black Diamond and Turner Valley complete their municipal growth study and joint Municipal Development Plan (MDP) that will take place over the next year to guide expansion in the communities.
“The MPC requested we hold the public hearing until the growth study and MDP is completed,” she said.
Coun. Mike Ross argued that if council delays the decision, developers may not see the town as being open for business.
“Developers do talk to each other,” he said. “The developer has an offer to buy land and is not going to sit on it for a year and a half and is probably not going to buy the land and sit on it for a year and a half for development that may not happen. If the word is out that a town is unfriendly they just won’t call.”
Ross said he supports chain stores coming to Black Diamond, and a survey the Town distributed to businesses this year reveals two thirds of merchants support Tim Hortons coming to Black Diamond.
He said it will be good for the tax base, attract more businesses and draw more tourists into the community who want a quick bite to eat whether passing through or stopping in.
“The community needs something like that when there is basketball tournaments, hockey tournaments, volleyball tournaments – things like that,” he said.
As far as idling concerns, Ross doesn’t expect a Tim Hortons drive-thru in the community will make a difference.
“If people want Tims and they drive all the way to Okotoks and back for coffee, that’s worse than sitting there for a minute and a half idling,” he said. “If you look all over downtown in the wintertime, nobody shuts their cars off around here.”
Williams said it is too early to know when a Tim Hortons could open its doors in Black Diamond, but he expects to have a timeline established at the beginning of 2015.
