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Moratorium Halts Future Drive-Thru’s on Hamilton

 

The Spokane city council made sure last night that a new McDonald’s restaurant will be the only drive-thru only business on the Hamilton corridor, at least for the near future. Monday night, council member Amber Waldref proposed a moratorium to prohibit certain business permits for the next six months.

The moratorium places a hold on permits for drive-thrus and developments that are set back from the street on Hamilton, between Trent and North Foothills road. Council member Waldref says Logan neighborhood planners have created a new development code to make the area more pedestrian friendly. But because the code isn’t fully implemented in city design standards yet, McDonald’s got permission to build a drive-up only restaurant.
 
Waldref: “All the development on the Hamilton corridor for the last seven years has been built up to the street and is consistent. This moratorium does not stop any of that development. It would just allow us a chance to take a pause, and consider these new codes, and have a chance for the public to give us input on that.”
 
After some discussion council members approved the moratorium 6-to-1. Council members will hold a public hearing within the next 60 days to discuss the plans for the Logan neighborhood and the halt on drive-thrus. McDonald’s, meanwhile, plans to open this summer.

Copyright 2014 Spokane Public Radio