Winter Park Fast Food is Welcome on West Fairbanks Ave

The City of Winter Planning and Zoning Board wants fast food to blossom on West Fairbanks. With a 6-0 vote, they amended chapter 58 “Land Development Code” Article I, "Comprehensive Plan,” which deletes the policy of regulations for certain business types (fast food/fast casual restaurants) along the West Fairbanks gateway corridor.

Instead, they will rely upon the new city-wide policy which extends the protections of these businesses to other gateway areas of the City, as well as Fairbanks Avenue. 

The intention was never to prohibit fast casual restaurants from developing along the West Fairbanks corridor, says the board. They want fast food restaurants with drive-in components in the area to be treated like they are in the rest of the City. 

There are other existing situations in the City where drive-in’s exist compatibly with adjacent or nearby residential such as the McDonald’s and Panera Bread on Aloma and the Krispy Kreme and Steak `n Shake according to the board. 

The board went on to say that the other business types on the exclusion list have ample other locations along other commercial corridors to conduct business.