Sean C. Morgan
Of The New Era
The way is clear for a new Subway to open in Sweet Home with a Planning Commission decision Monday night to allow the Subway to include a drive-through service.
Owners Larry and Sandy Starks are planning to knock down the Epps building at the corner of 10th Avenue and Main Street and build a new Subway restaurant on the site.
Larry Starks is shooting to open the store by February, he said.
Starks has been a Subway franchisee for 20 years and operates four stores in Corvallis and up until two years ago, the Subway in Lebanon.
He has looked in Sweet Home for a location for 11 years, he said. Until now, he had been unable to find a location he liked for the shop.
“This seemed to be a much better location than anything else we looked at,” he said. “We’ve been looking forward to this.”
In southwestern Washington and in Oregon, Subway has 265 locations, he said. Of those, 25 have drive-through services, but those are the kind where drivers pull up order and then drive to the pick-up window.
His drive-through service is much different, he said. “You’ll be able to see your sandwich being made.”
Drivers will pull up to a menu then pull forward to order, he said. From there, they will pull up to a window where they will be able to watch their sandwich being made, as if they were inside the shop at the regular food counter. Drivers will be able to talk to the sandwich maker through a speaker.
Starks is scheduled to close the purchase of the property on Sept. 1. After that he will go to work demolishing the Epps building. He hopes to begin construction in October. Completion will depend on weather during the fall and winter.
Customers will access the shop off 10th Avenue.
Restaurants are allowed outright in highway commercial zones, but the addition of a drive-through service requires approval of a conditional use permit by the Planning Commission.
The commission voted unanimously to approve the drive-through service.
Present at the meeting were commissioners Mike Adams, Al Culver, Kim Lawrence, Dick Meyers, Dr. Henry Wolthuis, Scott McKee Jr. and Frank Javersak.
In other business, the commission:
■ Recommended to City Council the approval of the vacation of a portion of 10th Avenue running north from the end of Juniper Street, to the south of City Hall and the Fire Hall. The council will make the final decision. The vacation was initiated by the city at the request of Norm Dugger.
■ Announced that last month’s revocation of a conditional use permit and variance for Kathy Rodgers to operate a church on the corner of Highway 228 and Oak Terrace is null and void because all conditions of approval had been met.