Manlius, NY - A proposed Taco Bell Cantina in the village of Manlius is off the table because it came with a drive-thru window.
The Manlius Village Board voted 2 to 2 on a zone change that was needed for the proposal to move forward. The fifth board member who could have broken the tie was absent. That means the zone change was rejected, village officials said.
Hospitality Restaurant Group had needed a zone change that would allow the drive-thru with a special permit, which the developer said was a key component of the proposal.
Hank Chapman, one of the trustees who voted against the zone change, said the village has no stand-alone buildings in C1, which is a zone that allows establishments to apply for drive-thrus. The existing Burger King is grandfathered in.
“Changing that would be making an exception to past practice for this application and I’m not willing to do that,’' he told syracuse.com | The Post-Standard.
HRG had wanted to convert the Manlius village fire station on Stickley Drive into a Taco Bell Cantina, which would have served beer, frozen alcoholic drinks and featured entertainment. The fire station has been closed since 2017, when a new, more modern station was constructed.
The proposal for a Taco Bell Cantina came after Onondaga County planners and Manlius village officials frowned on the idea of tearing down the existing fire station and building a new Taco Bell. That proposal called for a traditional Taco Bell with a drive-thru.
Along with Chapman, Rob Oley also voted against the proposed zone change. Mayor Paul Whorrall and Trustee Tom Pilewski were in favor. Trustee Janice Abdo-Rott was absent.
Mike McCracken, director of development for HRG, could not be reached for comment or to say if it’s possible a revised proposal will be submitted.
Taco Bell opened its first Cantina in 2015, and now has more than 60 of these restaurants across the U.S. One location in Las Vegas has a wedding chapel, DJ booth and Twisted Freezes that can be made with alcohol.
Elizabeth Doran covers education, suburban government and development, breaking news and more. Got a tip, comment or story idea? Contact her anytime 315-470-3012 or email edoran@syracuse.com