CASA GRANDE, AZ — Up to three restaurants with drive-thru lanes could open on East Florence Boulevard, between Texas Roadhouse and Tractor Supply Company. On Aug. 6, the Planning and Zoning Commission approved a conditional use permit for the Casa Grande drive-thru restaurants on a 5-1 vote.
Casa Grande Drive-Thru Restaurants Anchor New Retail Center
The restaurants anchor a new retail center on the front half of the parcel, which is zoned for general business. That block has long been envisioned as a shopping area known as the “Commons at Palm Creek.” In fact, the city approved a neighborhood shopping center there back in 2005, but that plan expired.
Plans filed by RKAA Architects show about 12,100 square feet of commercial space in three buildings. Two standalone drive-thru restaurants flank the development — about 2,600 square feet on the west and 3,500 square feet on the east. A third drive-thru restaurant would occupy the west end of the Shops A building in the center, with additional commercial space alongside it.
The drive-thru component is what put the project before the commission. In that zone, such restaurants need special approval because they can bring extra traffic, extended hours, noise and cooking emissions. Even without named tenants, staff’s report predicts quick-serve chains will find the location attractive, given its position on the city’s main arterial near Interstate 10.
The parcel’s back half will stay empty for now, and any future project there would need its own review.
Traffic Changes Coming to Florence and Henness
The developer’s traffic study, reviewed and endorsed by the city’s traffic engineer, calls for three traffic and access changes:
- The Florence-Henness traffic signal will move from a 90-second to a 120-second cycle.
- The southbound left-turn lane on Henness will be lengthened so more cars can stack while waiting.
- The driveway shared with Texas Roadhouse will no longer allow left turns into the property, but all other movements will stay.
With those changes in place, the study concluded that the surrounding streets can handle the added traffic from the new Casa Grande drive-through restaurants.
Senior Planner Jim Gagliardi, who presented the project, said the new center can share driveways already in place next door at Tractor Supply and Texas Roadhouse.
Commissioner Cortez Smith asked whether the layout accounts for the city’s future widening of Florence Boulevard. It does, Gagliardi replied. The developer must dedicate additional land along Florence for that widening, and the buildings are already placed with the wider road in mind.
Nearest Homes Sit Nearly 500 Feet From Drive-Thrus
Palm Creek, a manufactured-home and RV resort, is the closest residential neighbor. City code requires drive-thru buildings to stand at least 50 feet from residential property, but the nearest one here sits about 490 feet away. Additionally, the site offers roughly twice the required parking and well above the minimum open space.
No Public Speakers, One No Vote
According to staff, public notice went beyond code requirements, including mailings to nearby owners, a newspaper notice and a sign on the property. The outreach drew just one inquiry — a question about which restaurants are coming.
The commission approved the permit 5-1, with Cortez Smith, who had raised questions about site access, casting the lone no vote.
