A new Tim Hortons drive-thru restaurant in East Ladner moved a step closer to reality following council’s blessing Tuesday.
Following a public hearing, which heard from several residents in favour but also from the immediate homeowner who voiced opposition, council voted in favour of the application.
The lone dissenting vote was Jeannie Kanakos, who had also voted against an original application put to vote earlier this year. She said it’s not reasonable to allow vehicles to be emitting just a few feet from someone’s back yard.
The rest on council supported the application including Robert Campbell, who said there’s no evidence the business would cause any significant problem when it comes to emissions.
Mayor Lois Jackson agreed, saying she takes the issue very seriously. She also raised a heartbreaking personal element in the debate.
“I guess I’m very close to this issue of breathing because I have a daughter who now has a trache (incision in the windpipe) in her throat and will always have one, and she’s on oxygen 24/7. She’s on a ventilator all night. I know what it’s like when I see her struggle for breath, so I don’t take this lightly,” she said.
Following Delta council’s decision a couple of months ago to waive the six-month period for defeated development applications, a revised application was submitted.
Southborough Investments has been trying to build the small restaurant with a drive-thru on a vacant lot adjacent to the Otter Co-Op gas station on Ladner Trunk Road at 64th Street, however, the proximity of the drive-thru to nearby homes and the hours of operation were sticking points for council.
The new proposal has a higher sound attenuation fence between the site and residential properties and hours of operation changed from 24 hours to 5:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.
The application, which has been in the works since 2014, still requires final reading by council, mostly a rubber stamp move.
More to come
