By Krystal Smalley
ksmalley@wbcowqel.com
The news of a Tim Hortons-Donatos combination restaurant coming to Bucyrus has been met with glee and discontent, though nowhere more than at Tuesday’s Bucyrus Board of Zoning Appeals meeting.
The board met to review the variances and conditional use requests submitted by RSSUM Holdings, LLC, the group that is facilitating the Tim Hortons-Donatos project. The combination restaurant will be located at 503-511 S. Sandusky Ave. and 504 and 506 S. Poplar St., a location to the south of United Bank.
According to the Bucyrus Zoning Code, the restaurant, which will feature a drive-thru window on the Tim Hortons side and a pick-up window on the Donatos side, is required to have 67 parking spaces. As the most recent drawing plans stand, the project would only feature 57. Seventeen of the parking spaces will be in the front of the establishment with the rest being located in the rear.
Jennifer Francis, project manager for the new restaurant, explained that in Columbus, a typical 1,776 square foot Tim Hortons building would come with 26 parking spaces on average, or 52 spaces it if was a combined restaurant.
“That’s why we do feel that our 57 spaces would be adequate for this,” Francis said.
Representatives from RSSUM Holdings explained that 60 percent of Tim Hortons business is conducted in the morning while Donatos sees its peak time between 6 and 8 p.m. with very little overlap in peak times for either side. Each restaurant will have seating for roughly 30 people, allowing 60 total seats.
The representatives also believed that 60 percent of Tim Hortons’ business will be done through its drive-thru compared to 80 percent that is typically done in bigger cities. Meanwhile, 60 to 70 percent of Donatos’ business will be done by delivery.
A number of people spoke out in concern of the proposed plan.
Rob Neff, who acts as the trustee for the property located at 514 S. Poplar St., had concerns whether sufficient data was available for the board to make an informed decision.
Neff, who termed himself as a professional pessimist due to his career as a lawyer, looked at all the things that could go wrong at the same time, such as Tim Hortons having a big second shift day at the same time Donatos has a large lunch crowd come in while families drop off their children to the daycare across the alley, workers cash their paychecks at United Bank, and Wendy’s lunch-time crowd spills out on to Sandusky Avenue.
“The risks for us as a community are a little more long-lasting than the risks to the developer at a slightly increased cost to the project,” Neff said.
He encouraged the board to look for additional hard evidence before making a decision.
Scott Painter, who resides on South Poplar Street, was the most vocal opponent to a decision being made that day.
“I would hasten to suggest to the folks, the kind of folks for the government that are not just looking to do business for the city, but where residents have a vested interest in the neighborhood,” Painter said.
“It’s a busy intersection; it’s a busy corner here in town,” admitted Council President Sis Love. “I think maybe what Rob brought up is we do need to take a look at all the traffic movement and everything else that’s going on in that area. We can take a look at that and see if there’s anything we can do.”
Dan Hall, who attended the meeting with his friend who lives alongside where the restaurant would go, held concerns surrounding parking, traffic, and lighting.
The representatives from RSSUM assured the residents in attendance that they would do what they could to be a good neighbor.
“We’re willing to put up any traffic signs that you would ask to do – speed bumps, anything like that, we would certainly consider and work on to make sure it’s a safe environment,” Francis said.
When board president Ken Emerson considered tabling the requests in order to gather further information, Mayor Jeff Reser stepped in to encourage movement on the issue.
“I think of Arby’s – they’ve got 20 spaces out there, 25? Rob said Wendy’s is pre-zoning, I know they have about 20 spaces. Hardee’s has 10 spaces. We can’t make a decision today about going from 67 to 57 spaces?” he asked. “Let’s make a decision and go with it. I know you want to be sure but we’re going to have plenty of spaces there.”
He asked that the board make a decision at the meeting.
“We like the fact that these guys are looking at us; they want to come; they want to get open quick. We want them open right away,” Reser added. “What are we putting this vote off for? If you’re going to have 57 spaces, you’re going to have plenty of spaces . . . They are willing to work with us but they’re business people and they have investments, financing issues. Two weeks is money.”
The second variance requested dealt with the side yard and front yard setbacks. The Bucyrus Zoning Code requires properties to be setback by 30 feet if they are adjacent to a residence where businesses are permitted, but the restaurant’s plans for the drive-thru facility currently have the project’s setbacks at no less than five feet and, in some cases, six feet, a suggestion made by John Rostash to the firm’s engineer.
Rostash added that Taco Bell and Hardy’s, who each had similar issues, made their sites more conforming to the zoning code when they remodeled. He said RSSUM Holdings was trying to work within the city’s zoning code, but needed the variance to get everything completed.
Hall addressed the concerns that his friend would face with such a variance. The house would be just feet from the drive-thru. Rostash said a similar setback issue came up when Council on Aging was constructed on Spring Street and the business put up a row of hedges to provide screening for the neighbors.
The RSSUM Holdings representatives again assured they would work with the neighbors regarding screening and lighting issues.
“It’s good to hear that they are willing to work with owners to get this done,” Rostash said.
When board member Harry Lipscomb went to make a motion to approve the variances, Painter interrupted him.
“Since this gentleman,” Painter said, referring to a RSSUM representative, “has offered several additional weeks to consider a decision, with all due respect, Mayor, I think neighbors are entitled to it . . . I’m begging you for additional time to make a well-informed decision.”
Don Reninger, president of RSSUM Holdings, said they have already invested $30,000 to $40,000 into the project. They have also been asked to return to Johnstown to address the issue of a similar combination restaurant going into the town, which will only have 28 parking spaces.
“I understand as a community, it’s a decision you want to make of what’s important to you. I get that,” Reninger said. “If you don’t want us here, we don’t have to be here. That’s not an issue for us. We’re invading some of your space – we’re trying to make it work.
“You guys make the call. We’d love to be a part of your community if you want us a part of your community,” Reninger said.
He added that they have a number of contracts pending for the project and additional projects in the works for Galion and Ashland. Interest has also been expressed for the combination restaurant in Mansfield and Fostoria.
“We have opportunities. I like Bucyrus. This actually started with Jeff (Reser) calling us and asking us to come to town. That actually created the synergy to everything up north. So you can really thank that man that we’re building out of the northern corridor of Columbus,” Reninger said.
“It’s why we’re here. This is a risk for us,” continued Reninger, “a small community, 13,000 cars, 13,000 people. It’s not our typical DNA; I’d rather go to Ashland where I’d have a lot more people, but I think there’s a value here. I think we can add value to the community . . . we’re part of the fabric of every community we brew in. Tim Hortons grew in Canada this way; we’d love to be here.”
“I’m no traffic engineer or drainage expert and all the other things I can see involved here – we’re not equipped or capable of making those decisions but, from what I see here, the parking space issue brought up, the side lot issue, they’ve addressed it. At least as a committee, I think they’ve satisfied, to my way of thinking, what we’re here to decide today,” Lipscomb said.
The board approved accepting the variances based on the specifics as presented in the drawings.
RSSUM Holdings have set up a public meeting with property owners at 2 p.m. on Feb. 2 in Council Chambers of Bucyrus City Hall.
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