Taco Bell seeking 2 new sites in city

Mentor now is the target of two new Taco Bells. The city Planning Commission this week will consider a conditional-use permit and preliminary site plan for the restaurant at 8351 Tyler Blvd. It is the first project proposed in the Visconsi Companies Ltd. City Market development southwest of Routes 615 and 2.

The Sept. 28 meeting agenda also includes the preliminary site plan for the eatery planned at 9490 Diamond Centre Drive. The CUP for this project’s drive-through was twice denied by the Commission and the site plan tabled. The CUP then was called up by City Council and approved Aug. 15 with a revised site plan addressing traffic flow concerns.

“The fact that there are two Taco Bell’s on the agenda is coincidence,” Mentor Economic & Community Development Director Ronald M. Traub said.

“Both projects are moving along different timelines. The project at Diamond Centre first appeared on the agenda in March; the restaurant on the City Market site needed to await closure on the sale of the affected real estate. … One must assume their market research dictated the market can support two more

restaurants.”

The city has two existing Taco Bells, both on Mentor Avenue. The last one was added in 2005.

The City Market project, including an outside patio, would occupy about 2,000 square feet on roughly half an acre just west of El Rodeo Mexican restaurant.

The proposed hours of operation are 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. Sunday through Wednesday and 7 a.m. to 4 a.m. Thursday through Saturday. The restaurant will employ up to

nine people per shift.

The building will face Tyler Boulevard with the main entrance on the east side. Early renderings indicate a building design similar to the one proposed at Diamond Centre.

Two councilmen requested a public hearing on the permit after the developer agreed to further restrictions in the parking lot of Trask Towers shopping center.

In addition to creating a split right-in, rightout

westerly access drive — currently unrestricted — westbound traffic would be directed to turn toward Trask Towers before exiting the lot eastward at Emerald Court. A concrete island is proposed at the east end of the lot to send traffic to the southern exit onto Emerald, to help alleviate problems with traffic queuing at the light there.

The Commission meets at 7 p.m. on the third floor of city hall, 8500 Civic Center Blvd.