City Council to discuss moratorium on new drive-thrus at first meeting of 2025 ⋆ The Palm Springs Post

*Vehicles exit the drive-thru at the Palm Desert Chick-fil-A location. A possible temporary halt on new drive-thrus will be discussed by the Palm Springs City Council in January.*

The Palm Springs City Council is set to discuss implementing a moratorium on new drive-thru permits at its Jan. 9, 2025, meeting. The proposal comes in response to growing concerns about traffic impact and alignment with the city’s climate action plan and sustainability goals.

Councilmember Jeffrey Bernstein called for the urgent agenda item during Thursday’s City Council meeting, just one day after the Planning Commission postponed its decision on a proposed Chick-fil-A restaurant in the city.

“I would like to propose an urgent agenda item to put a moratorium on new drive-thru permits in our city,” Bernstein said. “We’re relying on very old information in terms of traffic, in terms of our climate action plan and our sustainability.”

Bernstein emphasized that the proposed moratorium is not intended to halt development or eliminate drive-thrus entirely. Rather, it aims to reassess the city’s approach to these facilities in light of recent changes and ongoing updates to city planning documents.

“I don’t want to stop development. I don’t want to necessarily get rid of them,” he explained. “I just think we need to have the proper guidelines.”

Bernstein noted that Palm Springs has approved three new drive-thrus in the past two years, with more proposals in the pipeline. He suggested that finalizing the city’s ongoing zoning code update before approving additional drive-thrus would be a more prudent approach.

The proposed moratorium comes amid heightened scrutiny of drive-thru facilities in Palm Springs. On Wednesday, the Planning Commission postponed its decision on a Chick-fil-A proposal, citing concerns about traffic impacts and requesting further studies.

The proposed Chick-fil-A restaurant, slated for The Springs Shopping Center, would include a 5,707-square-foot building with 78 indoor seats, 24 outdoor seats, and three drive-through lanes accommodating up to 49 vehicles. It would replace an existing 21,452-square-foot vacant retail building.

Planning Commission Chair Kathy Weremiuk expressed concerns about existing traffic congestion within the shopping center during the Wednesday meeting. Commissioners also raised questions about the environmental impacts of idling cars in drive-through lanes.

David Peck, operator of Chick-fil-A Palm Desert, defended a proposed triple lane design, stating it aims to reduce vehicle idling and improve efficiency. “This allows for us to be able to serve people efficiently, but our total count per hour right now is about 107 to 125 cars hour when we look at drive,” Peck explained.

The Planning Commission unanimously voted to continue the hearing to a future date, requesting additional studies on internal traffic circulation, the impact of the triple drive-through lanes, and a comprehensive landscaping plan for the entire shopping center.

Planning Director Christopher Hadwin suggested that city staff work with experts to determine the appropriate level of analysis needed to address the commission’s concerns.

The proposed Chick-fil-A project has sparked heavy public interest, with dozens of letters submitted to the Planning Commission prior to its meeting. A majority of the letters took issue with the fast-food chain’s past donations to anti-LGBTQ groups.