The idea of a drive-thru café at the corner of Island Park Drive and Richmond Road in Westboro is rubbing some residents the wrong way.
Ottawa Councillor Jeff Leiper said he plans to fight a proposal to amend the zoning bylaw for the gas station at 70 Richmond Road.
Leiper posted on his website that the owners of the heritage gas station, Main & Main, applied for permission to build an addition to add a drive-thru to the site for a ‘high end coffee shop’.
According to documents on his site the application is to permit a one-storey 65m2 addition and conversion of the existing building into a restaurant with a drive-thru facility.
Leiper said the city’s official plan goes against putting drive-thrus on main streets. He said the addition of one at this busy corner is a safety issue.
“It would be cars lined up trying to get into this gas station, pedestrians trying to go by, drivers being impatient and pressuring those pedestrians,” he said.
The documents show the drive thru entrance would be on Richmond Rd. and the exit on Island Park Drive.
Residents in the area said their main concerns include safety issues, and both vehicles idling and sticking out onto the road.
“Personally, I am not a fan of drive-thrus. I don’t think they are the best environmentally with people leaving their cars running,” said Jo-Anne Guimond, a Westboro resident.
“It’s a pretty busy area actually for something like that, especially at rush hour, there’s an awful line-up of traffic and I think it would be rough getting in-and-out for people,” said another resident, Barb Smith.
Dan and Cici Dunlap said they were not against the changes, but wanted to make sure whatever moves into this spot fits in the neighbourhood.”
“Maybe make a terrace, greenspace and make it indoor/outdoor because I mean this is a fabulous building,” said Cici. “I think people could work this out,” she added.
Leiper said his next move would be to hold public consultations in the upcoming weeks.
The proposal is expected to go to the planning committee in June.
