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Dairy Bar seeks drive-thru |
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Tuesday, 01 September 2009 |
By WILLIAM LANEY
Managing Editor
Additional changes can be expected to improve the experience for patrons of Max’s Dairy Bar at the west end of Wapakoneta, the ice cream shop’s owner says, after Wapakoneta Zoning Board of Appeals members approved a series of variances.
Tobias Lee, owner of Max’s Dairy Bar West, intends to purchase a garage from a neighboring property owner and to install a drive-thru window at the back of the shop. Patrons would be able to pull up to the window from West Pearl Street and exit onto West Auglaize Street.
“We are taking these steps so we can install a drive-thru window at the west location because we want to make it easier on our customers who want to patronize our establishment,” Lee said after Monday’s Zoning Board of Appeals meeting. “We keep making improvements so customers have a better and better experience.”
Lee said he fixed up and painted the outside of the building as well as repaving the lot in the past year.
The improvements and the timing of the installation of the drive-thru window is in part due to reconstruction of Bellefontaine Street, scheduled for 2010, which will effect Max’s Dairy Bar at 901 Bellefontaine St.
Tobias Lee is the son of Rosie Mickelson, who owns and operates Max’s Dairy Bar. She has owned and operated the business for approximately 20 years.
“We would be doing this to make it easier on our customers regardless, but we also want to make it easier for loyal customers of Max’s Dairy Bar who may drive to the west location to avoid the construction,” Tobias Lee said. “The walk-up customers should not see a difference — there will still be two windows — except now they can either walk-up or drive-thru.”
Tobias Lee plans to complete the work during the winter so the new drive-thru window is ready for business in the spring.
Mayor Rodney Metz praised Lee and Mickelson for their work on improving the property.
“I think the drive-thru should improve the safety of the area because cars can pull through the drive-thru window instead of pulling in and backing out of the lot onto West Auglaize or West Pearl streets,” Metz said. “It also shows growth in the community which we welcome as city administrators and city residents.”
Zoning Board of Appeals members approved four variances to permit the installation of the drive-thru window. The variances would go into effect four days after they are read at the next Zoning Board of Appeals meeting if no one opposes the variances being permitted.
They approved a 4-foot side yard variance, an 8.54 front yard variance on West Pearl Street and a 11.87-foot front yard variance on West Auglaize Street as well as a 4,728-square foot variance for the property.
In other business, Zoning Board of Appeals members approved side yard variances for Richard Katterhenry, 1237 Bellefontaine St. to install a storage shed, and a 23-foot front yard variance from River Street and an 8-foot rear yard variance for Steven Schaffer, 202 N. Blackhoof St. to install a one-car garage.
They also approved an 8-foot tall fence variance for Curt Herngarn, 216 N. Wood St.
Herngarn said the fence increases in height from an allowable 7-foot height to 8-foot because the ground slopes.
“I would like to keep the fence sturdy and level across the top,” Herngarn said.
He also cited safety reasons because of a pool in the back yard, and he wants to keep animals from getting into his back yard and the pool. His property borders a creek and a woods.
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 02 September 2009 )
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