After some revisions to the original site plan, city council unanimously endorsed the zone change Thursday despite a staff recommendation to not approve the application.

"While it will be tight," Coun. Ron Fraser said of the proposal, "it's not unfeasible. That's why I changed the recommendation.

"I think it will be a good fit … as long as we stick with the amendments."

Vacant since the closure of a gas station some years ago, the Dundas Street property has become an eyesore, which was part of the motivation for council's support.

"I'm not entirely pleased with this application … (but) given the property's history and location, I'll be supporting this," Coun. Paul Plant said.

The planning department's concerns with the application stemmed from the sheer number of variances required to make this new Beer Store location work. While the applicant did tweak the original plan, these variances – mostly reduced parking setbacks and yard widths – the planning department still had reservations.

"We do have a negative recommendation, but it's mostly because the amount of variances on the site," planner Ron Versteegen said.

The planner also mentioned concerns about traffic in this area being able to "function properly" with the addition of the Beer Store. In his report to council, Versteegen noted the "proposed loading area" – and the wider Clarke Street entrance to the store – could create potential conflicts with vehicle movements both at the store and on the road.

Lee Greenwood of Knutson Development Consultants, who was representing the applicant, attempted to mitigate the planning department's concerns about traffic, saying his company's data indicated no real problems with vehicle movement.

"The traffic data we have … is very good," Greenwood said. "Those two entrance points will work very well. "

Sitting at the northwest corner of the Dundas Street-Clarke Street intersection, the roughly 600-square-metre store will the first drive-thru Beer Store in Ontario. Able to accommodate about seven cars in its queue, the drive-thru would involve beer store employees carrying and loading the orders into customers' vehicles in a covered area on the west side of the building.

The Beer Store's decision to move its location hinges on the smaller parking lot at its current plaza location at Dundas Street and Springbank Avenue.

With files from Ron Thomson.