Critics Condemn Council Vote To Allow New Drive-Thrus

WATSONVILLE, CA — The Watsonville City Council voted 5-2 last week to reject a 45-day ban on drive-thrus in most of the city, but environmentalists are not happy about it.

"Drive-thru culture is car culture," said Councilmember Francisco Estrada at the Jan. 21 meeting. "We're giving people another excuse to get in your car ... and not take a bike, not take the bus, not carpool."

Drive-thrus for pharmacies could be useful to some with medical needs, he said, but Estrada did not see value in fast food drive-thrus.

"We have to do everything we must to protect our Mother Earth," said Mayor Rebecca J. Garcia, who cast the second "no" vote.

Nancy Faulstich, executive director of local nonprofit environmental group Regeneration-Pajaro Valley Climate Action, told Patch she was shocked to hear the council voted down the temporary ban. She noted that it's been estimated that half of Santa Cruz County greenhouse gas emissions are linked to transportation.

The group plans to work with Garcia and Estrada to see what may happen with a drive-thru ban moving forward.

"We're on the fast track for what could potentially be total collapse, so different action is needed, Faulstich said.

The temporary drive-thru ban proposal sought to ban approvals of new or expanded drive-thrus in almost all of Watsonville for 45 days, "as an urgency measure." Passing the ban would have also meant the public had no say in the matter, as declaring drive-thrus an urgent matter would have waived requirements for public notice and hearing requirements usually in place for zoning ordinances.

Most of the council did not feel that banning drive-thrus was urgent. Some expressed concerns about 45 days not being enough time for city staff to come up with a more permanent ban, though Garcia noted that the proposal allowed for a 10-month extension after the initial 45-day ban.

Drive-thrus benefit the elderly, sick and disabled, and parents toting around kids, said Councilmember Lowell Hurst. Drive-thru necessities for pharmacies and banks can be extremely valuable, said Councilmember Ari Parker.

Read the proposal here.