‘Feasibility’ report on eliminating drive-thrus heads to Halifax environment committee

A staff report on the “feasibility” of eliminating drive-thrus in Halifax heads to the municipality’s environment and sustainability committee on Thursday.

The controversial topic — which sparked a heated discussion among councillors last October — is unlikely to come to a definitive conclusion as staff says the municipality needs to revisit the subject through its plan and bylaw simplification program.

Richard Zurawski, councillor for Timberlea-Beechville-Clayton Park-Wedgewood, had described his request as an effort to pick the “low-hanging fruit” among the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM)’s CO2 emissions.

READ MORE: Halifax staff to examine ‘feasibility’ of eliminating drive-thrus

In October, Zurawski said he wasn’t attempting to punish fast-food restaurants but wanted the municipality to take the issue of carbon emissions seriously.

But even if the council wanted to, the municipality does not have the ability to eliminate pre-existing drive-thrus. Current land-use bylaws prohibit the establishment of new drive-thrus on the Halifax peninsula, while the city’s upcoming draft of its Centre Plan also restricts the establishment of new drive-thrus.

The staff report heading to the committee on Wednesday stresses those facts once again.

But the report also stresses the still-growing popularity of drive-thrus throughout North America, with drive-thru liquor stores, banks and even pharmacies becoming popular in the United States.

WATCH: Provincial environment ministers converge on Halifax

1:58 Provincial environment ministers converge on Halifax

Staff say that the issues raised by their research are “complex and are likely to change due to technological innovations” and that the rise in the popularity of electric vehicles could make the benefits of banning drive-thrus “limited.”

They conclude by recommending that the committee move to specifically identify the topic of drive-thrus for consultation, analysis and regulatory reform.