A zoning request for a drive-thru at 5228 S. Lindbergh Blvd. was heard by the St. Louis County Planning Commission Sept. 13. The proposed use is a joint Dunkin’ Donuts and Fortune Bank location.

The building and its two drive-thrus will be built from scratch on the south end of a parking lot containing a Fitz’s restaurant and a couple other businesses. The proposed space is .82 acres, with 13 parking spots and 33 percent green space. A sidewalk will be built along Lindbergh with a monument sign close by. The building will feature a joint lobby for the two businesses. 

Mark Doering, president of Doering Engineering, said the addition of this lot would complete the petitioner’s plans for the plaza. He said the area will benefit from the addition of this lot because traffic will not turn directly onto the site from Lindbergh — instead drivers will have a couple signalized lanes to turn into the plaza. The large amount of green space on the site should also reduce any issues with stormwater management.

Several members of the public were concerned the removal of so much parking space would have a negative impact on traffic in the area.

“The traffic in and out of (the lot) on an average weekend night is busy. It can get pretty dangerous,” Scott Josse said. “Without that extra parking, where are folks going to park on a Saturday night?”

Doering said he has witnessed how busy the plaza can be, but parking doesn’t always get into the area this new lot is planned for. 

“Dunkin’ Donuts is an a.m. business and the bank will be closed,” Doering said. “We have plenty of parking on the sides, we will have to justify that to St. Louis County with calculations.”

Directly to the west of the proposed lot is a right-turn-only lane leaving the plaza. Members of the public said this lane causes issues on Lindbergh, and asked the petitioners if they have plans to change it while working on the new lot.

Doering said the exit is required by the Missouri Department of Transportation for safety reasons so they couldn’t change it if they wanted to. He said entrances and exits to each side of the lot are signalized with good sight distance, so drivers paying attention shouldn’t have issues going forward.