Development News for Elko, Nevada

Elko Planning Commission Denies Variance for Drive-Through Coffee Shop Parking Design

The Planning Commission reviewed and considered a variance request filed by Paul Steinack, owner of Cowboy Joe Roasting Company on behalf of the Pamela Caldwell Family Trust. The variance sought to allow a parking lot design that necessitates backing a vehicle into a public street within a light industrial zoning district at 1246 River Street. The proposed use for the property is a drive-through coffee shop, a permitted use in the light industrial zone. However, city staff recommended denial of the variance due to concerns about pedestrian and vehicular safety, specifically the backup movement into the public street, and a lack of proven hardship. Engineering also raised concerns regarding the functional area of the intersection of 12th Street and River Street. The commission ultimately voted to deny the variance.