Richardson City Council considered a special permit allowing a drive-thru for Ayat, a New York-based restaurant during the July 28 meeting.
Along with the drive-thru, the permit would also allow a 329-square-foot covered patio.
The details
The Richardson City Planning Commission voted 4-3 to recommend approval during its July 1 meeting.
Senior Planner Derica Peters said the city’s future land use plan lists the property for a restaurant but does not include drive-thru use.
If approved, the special permit would be tied to Ayat, and if another restaurant were to move into the space, it would have to acquire a special permit to allow drive-thru as well.
The zoning request also addresses several elements of the property that do not conform to city code, such as the building placement, a 12-foot sidewalk requirement on West Spring Valley Road and an 8-foot sideway requirement on Sherman Street.
Some context
Ayat Restaurant serves Middle Eastern cuisine. It has locations in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
Real estate broker John Martini, representing the property owner, said the location was previously occupied by a Wendy’s restaurant. It has been vacant since the restaurant closed in 2023 because of a deed restriction on the land restricting restaurants from operating if more than 15% of sales come from hamburgers.
The action taken
Council voted to approve the zoning change request 5-2, with council members Dan Barrios and Arefin Shamsul voting against. Council added a stipulation that the drive-thru lane could only be used for pickup orders.
Shamsul voted against the proposal because of the sidewalk requirements, while Barrios cited several reasons, including the sidewalk requirements and drive-thru window.
