In the late 1990s, a national fast-food chain's proposal to build a restaurant at East Hill Plaza sparked a spirited local debate: Would a Burger King create traffic-flow problems? Would lights from the restaurant harm the quality of life? Would a big roadside sign from a national chain erode the neighborhood charm? Would the restaurant's patrons toss garbage all over area streets?

After many discussions and meetings, the Town of Ithaca gave final approval to the project in September 1999. Before granting approval, the town stipulated that the developer incorporate several design changes to address resident's concerns: The restaurant's sign had to be placed behind the store rather than near the road. Access to the restaurant was restricted to existing parking areas and entranceways to East Hill Plaza -- and not Ellis Hollow or Pine Tree roads. To calm fears of litter, the restaurant owners promised to patrol portions of Ellis Hollow and Pine Tree roads for litter.

The restaurant was built, and Burger King opened for business on that site in 2000. So, did the restaurant's operations produce undue litter, light and visual pollution, as many opponents stipulated? Did the Town of Ithaca make a good decision or was it a planning failure?

Lingering litter

The only area where fears of residents were confirmed has to do with trash. While there aren't piles of litter lining the roads, people still find the occasional bag, food wrapper or cup.

"I see less than I worried there would be," said Hollis Erb, of Snyder Hill Road. "But I honestly believe there is more now than before [Burger King] went in."

Litter can be found a mile or more from the restaurant. Thomas Seeley, of Hurd Road, is an avid runner -- and consequently sees what is on the roadsides on a daily basis. He has noted that trash originating from Burger King tends to cluster away from the store rather than near it, which is contrary to the assumptions that led the town to request that the restaurant owners patrol nearby roads.

Even if the restaurant's employees pick up trash on nearby stretches of Ellis Hollow or Pine Tree roads, it is impossible to control the behavior of patrons after they leave the premises. Nate Davis, manager of the East Hill Burger King, confirmed that his employees regularly patrol nearby roads and pick up litter.

Drive in, drive on

Future drive-through restaurants in the Town of Ithaca will be affected by the 1999 Burger King debate: Before town approval, residents and planning staffers were concerned about cars "stacking up" at Burger King's drive-through area. They also were concerned about such traffic blocking or impeding cars on the main road. For some residents such as Erb, the drive-through was a critical issue: "I was never opposed to a Burger King there. I was opposed to there being a drive-through Burger King. There is a huge difference in driveway space between the two, and I honestly believe a lot of drive-through food is eaten in a car [and ends up on the roadside]."

As a result of their experience with the Burger King design -- and after listening to extensive neighborhood feedback -- Ithaca town officials actually adjusted the zoning ordinance to reflect what they had learned through this experience.

"It got the town thinking about drive-through uses, and that resulted in a widespread study of our business zones. Now, you can't site two drive-through restaurants within 1,500 feet of each other," Kanter said.

Some residents probably believe the restaurant was a mistake and that the questions of lighting, traffic and litter have not been effectively addressed. But overall, the work of the town's planning board and town staff effectively addressed all of the concerns, except, perhaps, for the litter issue. According to town planner Jon Kanter, there have been few if any complaints about lighting, traffic and litter over the past four-plus years of the restaurant's existence.

Originally published Friday, January 28, 2005