Proposed Nepean drive-thru restaurant brews fears of traffic congestion

A proposal to add a restaurant with a drive-thru at a busy west-end intersection has the local councillor concerned about traffic. CTV’s Dylan Dyson reports.

A proposed restaurant and drive-thru on Merivale Road has locals worried about increased traffic congestion.

A proposal has been submitted to the city to redevelop the corner of Merivale Road and Viewmount Drive, where a gas station and convenience store are currently located.

The proposal would include the redevelopment of the existing gas station and convenience store, creating a new mixed-use building that would contain a restaurant with a drive-thru. The current car wash building on site would be kept as is.

The corner lot is located across the road from Merivale High School and the Merivale Mall, in a commercial-heavy section of Merivale Road.

The proposal has raised concerns from the area councillor regarding traffic, noise, and pollution.

“There’s a lot of traffic coming through east-west. So, to stick a drive-thru here, I’m concerned because it’s going to not only increase the number of students crossing from Merivale Road to use whatever this restaurant might be, but it’s also going to potentially create backups on to Merivale Road or onto Viewmount Road,” College Ward Coun. Laine Johnson told CTV News Ottawa on Tuesday

Many in the community are also not sold on a drive-thru in an already traffic-heavy area.

“I think it’s pretty inundated with options already,” said Ashley Hiscock, who works nearby. “A drive-thru I feel is not quite necessary at a gas station when people have to get out for gas anyway.”

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“I could see them putting a drive-thru here and it working because it’s a big space,” said Tom Meredith, who lives near the current gas station. “But I hate to see traffic backing up on Viewount or Merivale.”

At this time, it is not clear which restaurant will be added to the site.

Johnson notes that the proposal is a site plan application, which does not get voted on by city council, and that the application already meets the zoning required for the property.

She’s asking other residents who feel the same to voice their opinions through the feedback feature on the application’s page.

“The intersection is well known by residents and by my office for being dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists at this time,” said Johnson. “I want people to know and I want people to write in because road safety is really imperative here.”

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