Lincoln bans drive-thrus in downtown area

(FOX40.COM) - - New drive-thru centers will not be allowed the downtown area of Lincoln after a city regulation was just recently embraced to prohibit them..

" The lots in downtown are smaller sized and are not developed to accommodate the area required for queuing drive-thru automobiles," said Lincoln Community Development Senior Manager Efren Sanchez at the Nov. 14 city council conference.

He included that a restriction on brand-new drive-thru centers would avoid traffic from spilling onto downtown Lincoln streets.

The city conversation about restricting drive-thrus in the location began at a planning commission workshop on May 17.

California's first fentanyl murder conviction made in Placer County.

" We had a possible designer recommend a Starbucks in our historic downtown, and that prompted the planning commission to take a look at our ordinance for drive-thru dining establishments in that area," said Lincoln city council member Holly Andreatta.

She stated she was "100% in contract" with not having drive-thrus in downtown Lincoln due to the fact that the restriction would maintain the "hometown feel and the historical heritage of that area of town.".

The movement was passed at the Nov. 14 city council meeting by councilmembers William "Bill" Lauritsen, Ben Brown, and Andreatta. Mayor Paul Joiner and councilmember Dan Karleskint were not in attendance.

According to the brand-new regulation, businesses that already have a drive-thru will not be affected as long as they continue to operate as a drive-thru and do not have longer than a 12-month disturbance of that usage.