Whataburger drive-thru restaurant proposed for Main St. in Spring Hill

Spring Hill residents could be the next to frequent the popular Texas-based Whataburger fast food chain, as plans for a new restaurant are currently under review by the Municipal Planning Commission.

The new drive-thru, pending planning commission approval, would be located at the former Burger King at 4933 Main St., adjacent to Publix and SunTrust Bank. According to the Spring Hill planning staff report, the plans are to demolish the existing structure and modify the site prior to construction, including the location of the building, drive aisles and parking spaces.

The property would front Main Street at the intersection of Campbell Station Parkway near the Bellshire Village subdivision.

Plans were submitted for site plan approval, which is the final phase of the approval process prior to construction.

However, city planners expressed concerns regarding the structural design, access to the site and that the applicant, MS Consultants, skipped the opportunity to first present a concept plan, a process typically used to "work out the kinks" between the developer and city staff prior to review.

"We prefer to have everything 'buttoned up' as much as possible," Planning Commission Chairman Jonathan Duda said.

" I'm not comfortable providing design review decisions that are somewhat objectionable, although we have design review guidelines for our city."

Alderman Matt Fitterer said his biggest concern is the site's orientation to Main Street, which shows the drive-thru pickup window fronting onto U.S. Highway 31.

"We've got somewhere around 35-36 drive-thrus of some kind in Spring Hill, some food and non-food businesses, and I don't know of a single example where the pickup window faces the primary arterial road, in this case U.S. Highway 31," Fitterer said.

Kevin Drozin, project manager for MS Consultants, said his team is working to provide any accommodations to city staff's requests regarding building materials, right-of-way dedication and issues regarding the building orientation.

"We have squeezed this development into a site that is now smaller, and we are trying to accommodate everything that has been requested by the staff," Drozin said.

Duda later admitted this is "a tricky site" in regards to combating U.S. 31 traffic volume, and it will require many changes prior to approval.

"It starts with the transportation access to the site, and the improvements that are necessary at this intersection, and then it comes to things like where the building is facing and the elevation," Duda said. "With the alignment of the building, this is something we would have done at sketch plan or concept plan."