Billings 910 Grand Ave. LLC is proposing to construct 2 restaurants at the southwest corner of 9th Street West and Grand Avenue where the old JB's restaurant was located.  One of the restaurants is a Starbucks with a drive-thru window.  The Starbucks is proposed to be approximately 3,000 square feet and the other restaurant is approximately 2,000 square feet.  The site development ordinance states that the required parking be 1 stall per 100 square feet.  The developer is proposing 40 stalls instead of the code requirement of 50 stalls.  The owner submitted a variance application for off street parking of 10 parking stalls.  The basis of the variance request is constructing two restaurants that have different peak parking times.  Most of Starbucks' traffic will be in the morning.  The second restaurant will peak during the lunch or dinner hour.  Engineering is recommending approval of the restaurant on the condition that the second restaurant not have peak traffic during the morning.  The type of restaurant for the second building will be evaluated by staff through the building permit process to meet the variance.  The variance is for 10 fewer parking stalls to allow restaurant uses in both buildings.  In addition to the restriction of peak use of the second building, the applicant states that, per national standards for Starbucks, 70% of morning peak traffic utilizes the drive thru and does not require a parking stall.  Taken both of these in account, staff is recommending approval of the variance. 

The Council may:

• Approve the variance at 910 Grand Avenue for 10 parking stalls; provide 40 spaces vs the required 50, or
• Do not approve the variance.  The developer would have to find 10 additional parking stalls in order to construct a second restaurant on this site.

There is no significant financial impact to the City for this variance.

Staff recommends Council approve a parking variance at 910 Grand Avenue.