BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – A Taco Bell franchisee's redesign for a new location near UAB with a drive-through window won the Design Review Committee's approval this morning for a site plan that limits access to the property to 22nd Street South.

Tacala LLC returned to the committee after previous attempts to win approval for a Taco Bell restaurant on the corner of 22nd Street and Seventh Avenue South. The prior design included an outdoor seating area on the corner with the restaurant set back and the drive-through window flowing from the alley onto Seventh Avenue.

The Design Review Committee has been opposed to new curb cuts onto Seventh Avenue because of the impact on pedestrian traffic and vehicle traffic as well as aesthetics.

The site plan shows the traffic flow through the drive-through window at the future Taco Bell near UAB. (Tacala LLC)

The new design feeds traffic into the restaurant through a curb cut on 22nd Street, through a drive-through on the west side of the restaurant and then back to the alley behind the site or back out onto 22nd Street.

Members of the committee thanked Tacala for incorporating their suggestions and working towards an acceptable site plan.

The approval allows Tacala to do demolition on the site and begin construction of the restaurant. Tacala must, however, return to the committee to win approval for the building’s design, color scheme, signage and landscaping.

The Design Review Committee has been opposed to drive-through windows and "suburban" design that fast-food chains have tried to introduce to historic or downtown neighborhoods. The highest profile example was the Chick-fil-A in Five Points South that ended up being built in an original design without a drive-through.

Seventh Avenue South, however, already includes a number of fast-food restaurants with drive-through windows, making the Taco Bell with a drive-through more in keeping with the neighborhood.