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New fast food chains and coffee shops in the city of Napa could lose one of their signature features: drive-throughs.
The Napa Planning Commission on Thursday directed staff to develop a sweeping ban on drive-throughs, targeting fast-food and food service businesses, but the proposal could also limit future car washes and dry cleaners. The ban, advocates said, would cut greenhouse gas emissions from idling cars and is part of a broader effort to shift away from car-oriented development.
Napa's ban, years in the making, is still in its early stages. Ultimately, the Napa City Council will decide whether to approve any proposed ban.
Commissioner Eryn Ebach said she was in "strong support" of banning restaurant drive-throughs, while providing carve-outs for businesses like pharmacies. Existing drive-throughs, which include Taco Bells, McDonalds and Dutch Bros, would be grandfathered in.
The proposal would put Napa among a small but growing group of California cities that restrict new drive-throughs. Culver City (Los Angeles County) recently moved to extend its drive-through moratorium for another 10 and a half months as city officials draft a formal ban. Carlsbad, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo also have bans on drive-throughs. Calistoga only permits drive-throughs for financial institutions. Critics say the ban could increase the need for parking. Commissioner Alex Myers has questioned the ban's climate benefits as automatic engine shut-off features become more common.
Myers was not present at Thursday's meeting.
"Promoting walkability downtown and promoting walkability in certain areas and increasing that makes a lot of sense, in certain areas it doesn't make as much sense. I have three little kids, I can tell you, a drive-through sometimes saves my rear end," Myers said at a planning commission meeting last May. "There are a lot of benefits to drive-throughs."
On Thursday, Commissioner Lisa Massaro said that curbside services could better fill that gap for families, the elderly or other populations.
"Hopefully this will help encourage people to just, you know, socialize more too because drive-throughs, you're just like waiting," Commissioner Beverly Shotwell said. "There's not a lot of human interaction."
Staff originally presented a much more conservative change, including requiring new drive-throughs be within 600 feet of a highway off-ramp and at least 500 feet from any other drive-through.
During a previous study session, members of the planning commission noted that drive-throughs often encourage chain restaurants and can cause long lines that overflow onto streets.
All public speakers Thursday urged the commission to ban drive-throughs, arguing that doing so would best align with current climate policies. To curb emissions from idling cars, the sustainability chapter of the city's general plan directs the city to "establish regulations that encourage alternative approaches to traditional drive-through facilities."
More broadly, climate plans across Napa County call for reducing car dependence and encouraging walking, biking and public transit, although they do not specifically require drive-through bans.
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