Westford Votes Against Allowing Drive-Thru Restaurants

WESTFORD, MA — Every few years the question of whether or not to permit restaurants to have drive-thru window comes to Town Meeting. Saturday, the question came before the town's legislative body, which is anyone that showed up to Town Meeting, and it failed. Again.

"This [would] bring us to the 21st century," Arnold Price said described the proposal as a business friendly measure, adding that only about four or five locations even had the space for such a Drive Thru.
But concern about litter, traffic and idling cars won out.
"I think that curbside pickup is enough," Denali Delmar said. "COVID is not going to last forever."

The ban arose in the 1990s and remained despite attempts to in 1998 and again in 2012.

Proponents say businesses should be allowed to choose how they do business, and say it's a helpful tool for mothers with children, or people with mobility issues. Opponents worry that it will encourage littering along the side of the highway, back up traffic with long lines of cars turning into fast food restaurants, or promote big businesses in town.

This year, amid pandemic, proponents argued it was a safer option - for both the workers and the customers - than going into the restaurants. Opponents said curbside pickup was sufficient.

The proposal, that the town amend the zoning bylaw to allow drive-thru, required a 2/3 majority vote. Town Meeting agreed to amend the proposal to only pertain to certain zoning districts and still require a special permit, but in the end the full question failed.