Do I need special approval for a drive-through in Novi?
Almost always, and in several districts a drive-through is simply unavailable.
A restaurant drive-through is a special land use: in B-3 as a restaurant in the character of a fast food drive-through (Section 3.1.12.C; Section 4.40), and in TC and TC-1 by City Council decision after Planning Commission review (Section 3.1.25.C; Section 3.1.26.C). In the OST Retail Service Overlay, fast food drive-throughs are special land uses under Section 3.19. In City West, a drive-through is allowed only as an accessory to a permitted use and only as a special land use (Section 3.1.30.D).
Districts that shut the door: B-2's stated intent is that drive-through fast food not locate there (Section 3.1.11.A), and drive-through windows are expressly excluded from CW accessory uses by right (Section 3.1.30.B). In Gateway East, uses with a drive-through window are declared inconsistent with the district intent (Section 3.11.1).
Bank drive-ins ride along differently: financial institutions with drive-in facilities as an accessory use are permitted by right in OS-1, OSC, OST, and RC (Section 3.1.21.B and parallel lists). Any drive-through must also meet the stacking space standards of Section 5.3.11.
Sources
Full text: City of Novi ordinance on city-hosted single-PDF Zoning Ordinance (Clearzoning format, effective January 8, 2015, amended through June 6, 2025); Code of Ordinances on Municode. Applies to districts: B-3, TC, TC-1, B-2, GE, CW.
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