Collegiate Times

On Tuesday evening, the Blacksburg Town Council unanimously approved a Sonic Drive-In restaurant at the First & Main center on South Main Street in Blacksburg.

The decision came after the council had previously denied Sonic's application on a 4-3 vote in June, citing concerns of noise pollution, unsafe walkways for pedestrians and poor access to the property.

Councilmen Al Leighton and Ron Rordam, as well as former councilman Paul Lancaster, voted yes on Sonic's original application. Council members Susan Anderson, Donald Langrehr and Thomas Sherman, along with councilwoman Mary Holliman, voted no.

The council agreed to hear an amended application for the Sonic on Nov. 11, and subsequently approved the special-use permit to build in a unanimous 7-0 vote.

The 7-0 vote includes two new council members, Vice Mayor Leslie Hager-Smith and councilman Derek Myers.

The plan was approved with a dozen modifications from the original, including sidewalk connections from Sonic to adjacent restaurants and retail shops, and the banishment of lighted signs. Additionally, "Sonic radio" announcements that are native to the restaurant are banned from the Blacksburg store.

"We (initially) turned down the project because we weren't happy with the noise that would emanate from the site and with the lack of pedestrian access," Langrehr said. "They remedied those plans and we approved it."

Myers began his position on the council in July, but had attended prior work sessions and was familiar with the Sonic proposals.

"I liked the changes; the fact that they were going to encourage customers to turn off their engines and discourage idling," Myers said. "And that they discontinued 'Sonic radio.' I'm also glad they have a bike rack out front."

Myers added that he would have voted against the proposal in June, and still doesn't feel it represents the kind of sustainable business that is needed in Blacksburg.

Yet, Myers said he "admires how the corporation came around and made good-faith efforts to make the place more pedestrian accessible. Without just totally altering the nature of their business, they've been really accommodating."

With the passage of the permit, the remainder of the project will be worked out in the town's planning department. Langrehr said that there are no additional approvals to be passed through the council, rather just building codes to follow.

Fairmount Properties, the developer for Sonic and First & Main, filed a lawsuit in July that stated the council had acted discriminatorily and out of vengeance for the current legal battle over an 186,000 square foot big-box store on Country Club Drive.  

Sherman said that Tuesday evening's approval would almost certainly end the legal proceedings.

Sherman, who had previously voted to veto the proposal, was pleased with the alterations made to the application.

"They made a number of positive changes in the proposal, mostly involving pedestrian access," Sherman said. "It is important for people to be able to get there on foot as well as in cars."

Langrehr added that the council's passage of the special-use permit shows that there was no bias or ulterior motive behind the council's denial in June.

"This decision proves that that is false," Langrehr said. "(The developers) came back with a plan that remedied those problems, and the decision is final; we're done with it."

Sherman said that the Sonic would be beneficial to Blacksburg, noting that residents will be pleased to no longer need to drive to Christiansburg for their Cherry Limeades.

The Sonic special-use permit was one of five that was approved unanimously, something that Langrehr said is not uncommon.

"Fairly often, when a plan is submitted that meets a lot of our design standards, we often approve projects unanimously," Langrehr said.