ORD-2009-142 - Senior Citizen Health Promotion Program Grant Project Ordinance

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~~ the symptoms are being treated, and he would like to solve the problem. He suggested meeting somewhere else or fixing the acoustical problems. Commissioner Nelson said that the economic development question needs to be dealt with and Carrboro has had a ban on drive-thrus for 15 years and it has not hurt the economic development there. He said that the underlying issue is greenhouse gas and global warming and there is no silver bullet. He said that the community will survive without drive-thrus. Commissioner Pelissier said that she agreed with Commissioner Nelson's comments, and in rereading the minutes of the Planning Board and previous quarterly public hearings, she thinks that everyone has forgotten some of the major goals. She said that there were plans to put drive-thrus in the Buckhorn area when she was on the Planning Board, and now that is a moot issue. In the Planning Board minutes, it all started with greenhouse gas emissions and educating parents to not idle in the drop off lane at a school. She said that the real issue is that drive-thrus are a symbol of the car-oriented culture. She thinks that if the County wants to move in the right direction, it has to change the symbols and the messages. The County wants to create developments that are transit-friendly, pedestrian-friendly, and bicycle-friendly. She said that there is no clear evidence that if drive-thrus are banned that a message is sent to the business community that they are not wanted. She thinks that banning drive-thrus sends a message about the kinds of businesses that the County does want. Commissioner Hemminger said that she would like to formally ask the school districts to educate their students and families about the issue of idling. Commissioner Yuhasz said that the areas that this would affect are the EDD's that are not in Chapel Hill or Carrboro, and the environment and atmosphere will be different in Orange County. There will not be a lot of development where people can walk to the places that are going to develop. He said that there is significantly more greenhouse gas created by the kiss- and-go lanes at the schools than will ever be created by all drive-thru restaurants that ever might be created in Orange County, and this ban does not address that at all. He said that this ordinance would not minimize greenhouse gas. He thinks that the message with this is that Orange County does not like drive-thrus and the food that is served and the people that go there. He does not want to send that message. Commissioner Jacobs said that he originally proposed this idea about banning drive- thrus and it has nothing to do with the kind of people that use drive-thrus. He said that once he proposed it, he has never used adrive-thru anywhere, even at a bank. He said that he has always been opposed to the size of the kiss-and-go lanes at schools. He said that someone has to take the lead in addressing a culture that is so car-oriented. He is willing to consider a motion to do education before a ban. He said that this has to do with emissions, but there needs to be a clearer and targeted message. If not, then the Board will vote 4-3 for the ban. Chair Foushee asked Commissioner Yuhasz to restate his motion. A motion was made by Commissioner Yuhasz, seconded by Commissioner Hemminger to accept the Administration's recommendation, substituting option 3 for option 2 in #4. He said that he might be willing to accept some modification of the motion to put some reasonable time limit on the education component to see if it has had an effect, and to involve the schools. Commissioner Jacobs suggested asking staff to come back with a proposal with a specific timeframe, a way to measure the effectiveness of the educational component, and a plan for the education. Commissioner Yuhasz agreed to add this to the motion. VOTE: Ayes, 3 (Commissioner Yuhasz, Commissioner Hemminger, Commissioner Jacobs); Nays, 4 MOTION FAILED