Below The Beltway

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Leesburg Considering Ban On Drive-Thru’s

by Doug Mataconis @ 6:52 am on July 9, 2007.

Apparently, the town of Leesburg is considering banning businesses with drive-thru windows:

Two Leesburg Town Council members have proposed a ban on drive-through service windows in a commercial zone between downtown Leesburg and the Route 7 Bypass, saying they want to make the area more attractive and pedestrian-friendly.

But critics say it is unfair to target banks and fast-food restaurants that depend on drive-through business. And Mayor Kristen C. Umstattd voiced concerns last week about the timing of the proposal, saying it came soon after the owner of a popular restaurant told town officials that he might sell his property to Chevy Chase Bank.

The ban, proposed at a council meeting June 25, would cover the town’s B2 business district, an area that includes most of East Market Street and Catoctin Circle. Existing drive-through windows would be grandfathered.

Council members Kathryn S. “Katie” Hammler and Kevin Wright acknowledge that the main purpose of their proposal is to discourage banks and fast-food eateries from setting up shop in that zone. They argue that the area has become overrun with those types of businesses and their drive-throughs, discouraging walkability and creating an unsightly gateway to Leesburg’s historic district.

“One of the things we always hear from residents is that they want a more walkable downtown,” Hammler said. “This is essentially a bold step to achieve the Leesburg vision.”

By restricting the property rights of the citizens and property owners of Leesburg. Yea, make sense to me