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<br /> <br /> <br />-~~ <br /> <br />In Santa Monica, <br />California, combined uses <br />on the same site are <br />regulated by a conditional <br />use permit. For example. <br />the combination of gas <br />stations/mini-marts and <br />fast-food restaurants is <br />conditionally allowed in <br />the C-2 neighborhood <br />commercial zoning <br />district, but such facilities <br />must comply with the <br />provisions of the <br />conditional site standards <br />for both service stations <br />and fast-food restaurants. <br />In Windsor, <br />Connecticut, "any change that significantly increases the <br />intensity of existing uses or involves the addition of a use to any <br />existing gasoline filling station shall be considered a special use." <br />In such a case, tl:1ecommission will consider the need for <br />such uses, the size and location of the site, estimated <br />traffic conditions, compatibility with surrounding <br />development, site and building design, and <br />signage changes. <br /> <br />Planners and city <br />engineers are faced <br />with the task of <br />developing sites that <br />can accommodate high <br />levels of traffic while <br />maintaining the smooth <br />circulation of vehicles <br />on site. <br /> <br />Site Design Standards <br />A number of communities have adopted site <br />design standards for automobile-related <br />facilities. The combination gas station, fast- <br />food restaurant, and convenience store is <br />typically regulated on a site-by-site basis under <br />conditional standards that address some or all <br />of the following issues. <br />Circulation. Studies conducted by the <br />Institute ofTransporration Engineers (ITE) <br />suggest that a fast-food restaurant on its own <br />can generate 1,500 trips per day, and a <br />service station can generate 133 trips per <br />fueling station. ITE has not yet come up with <br />trip generation standards for the combination of <br />gas stations/convenience stores and fast-food <br />restaurants, but it is evident that these uses attract <br />large numbers of customers. Planners and ciry engineers <br />are faced with the task of developing sites that can <br />accommodate high levels of traffic while maintaining the <br />smooth circulation of vehicles on site. <br />Rancho Cucamonga, California, uses design guidelines for <br />drive-through facilities to regulate fast-food restaurants <br />developed in combination with service stations. The conditional <br />use standards try to minimize the conflict between pedestrians <br />and vehicles by placing driveways and service areas in locations <br />. that reduce the chance of interrupting on-site vehicle <br />movement. Buildings must be placed in a manner that screens <br />the drive~through lane and creates pedestrian pathways and <br />spaces. In order to maintain on-site circulation, each drive- <br />through lane is to be separate from pump islands and from <br />routes necessary for entering and exiting the property. <br /> <br />Laura Thompson is a fOrmer APA research intern who now lives in <br />San Francisco. <br /> <br />2 <br /> <br />According to senior planner Nancy Fong, the applicant is <br />required to submit a traffic study indicating that the drive- <br />through stacking lane will be long enough to accommodate such <br />a use in a specific area and to ensure that on-site circulation will <br />not interfere with adjacent thoroughfares. <br />In 1994, the Villa Park, Illinois, planning staff made several <br />recommendations concerning an application for a conditional <br />use permit to expand an existing gas station/convenience store <br />operation by adding a drive-through for a national fast-food <br />restaurant. Located in the C-3 service business district, the <br />40,200-square.foot parcel offered sufficient space for the <br />expansion. The city council approved the application with the <br />recommendations, bur the applicant later withdrew the request. <br />However, the recommendations illustrate how the ciry <br />regulates combination facilities. In order to maintain on-site <br />circulation, the ciry instructed the applicant to alter the site's <br />design and layout. Estimates of increased traffic volume led to <br />the suggestion of relocating the existing curb cut entrance <br />because of its close proximiry to the intersection and potential <br /> <br />LTTJTl <br /> <br />Balancing the needs of the drive-through <br />operation, short-term parking, and <br />circulation within the site is the <br />primary concern fOr planners <br />developing the site layout of <br />combination facilities. <br /> <br />FUO' <br /> <br />'14' -;3" <br /> <br />r----- <br /> <br />I\~D <br /> <br />If) <br />I <br />Q <br />-c <br /> <br />> <br />3 <br />8 <br /> <br />for stacking cars, interfering with major roadways. In addition, <br />the pump island aisle direction was changed to reflect the new <br />building orientation, and painted yellow direction arrows on <br />the pavement were required. Finally, the drive-through aisle <br />was to be located at the rear of the building to avoid congestion <br />with vehicles using the service station area. <br />Parking. In Santa Monica, California, on-site parking for <br />facilities that combine gas stations with fast-food restaurants <br />and convenience stores must equal the sum of the number of <br />parking spaces required separately for each use. For example, <br />the city recently approved a request for a conditional use permit <br />for the construction of an A&W fast-food restaurant within an <br />existing self-service gas station and convenience store. The <br />municipal code requires 13 parking spaces for the proposed <br />convenience store, 11 for the fast-food restaurant operation, <br /> <br />103 <br />