In my meeting with the planning director and the building inspector several weeks ago, they mentioned the possibility of a "paving requirement" to cover the entire parking area of the theatre with asphalt. The cost to undertake such a task would be highly cost prohibitive, since it would cost more to pave the entire place as it would to build the theatre. The planning director and building inspector said if I could present them with some facts as to why the entire parking area of the theatre should not be paved, then they would consider the exception. They said the reason for the exception could not be based upon cost alone, but more of a "drive-in specific" related issue.

I know many drive-in's do in-fact have their entire lot paved, but most of the theatre's in Tennessee however feature grass-covered ramps. The grass-covered ramps create more of a park-like setting, are more cost-efficient to maintain, lesson the alteration of the existing land, and lesson the amount of water run-off to adjacent properties.

Can you guys give me any more reasons that are "drive-in specific" that I can use in my meeting the with Board of Zoning Appeals?

Here is the wording from the county code book regarding the paving requirements:

Section 3.50 Off Street Parking Requirements-3.50.03 E .Paving- All areas devoted to off-street parking and access drives, as required under this section, shall be of a sealed surface construction of plant mix asphalt or concrete construction. A 6” x 12” curbing shall be installed on all off-street parking areas. This requirement shall not apply to farming, single family, two family uses or places of worship not located on arterial thoroughfares, as designated by the County Major Thoroughfare Plan.

So far, I've come up with the following:

The existing “Entrance Lane” and the existing “Exit Lane” will be re-paved, and the existing travel lanes between the parking ramps will be either paved or surfaced with a Double Bituminous Surface Treatment (DBST) to reduce the possibilities of dusting. The existing parking ramps will remain unpaved to reduce the amount of storm water run-off shed to adjacent properties, reduce the amount of radiant heat to ensure the patron’s comfort level, and to permit the proper operation and use of the AM radio transmitting radiating cables.

Any more suggestions???

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Barry Floyd
Floyd Entertainment Group
Nashville, Tennessee
(Drive-In Theatre - Start-Up)

This requirement shall not apply to farming, single family, two family uses or places of worship not located on arterial thoroughfares, as designated by the County Major Thoroughfare Plan.

Is the drive-in located on an arterial thoroughfare? If not maybe you can convince a local church to hold special worship sessions for the public at the drive-in on sunday mornings or any other daytime church related activities. This would put the drive-in in a place of worship situation there fore not having to be paved.

Seriously, I think one of your best arguments is going to be that grass is safer for kids and will act as a natural way to slow down traffic. Falling down on grass doesn't hurt as much as falling on a hard surface like asphalt.

There are a few reasons for asphalt. 1. Mud. Mudholes are hell. Growing up in Vermont, where frost leaves huge potholes, this would be my major reason for paving. 2. Dust. Dust can be reduced with treatments, as you suggest. (Although the odor will cut per-caps.) 3. Ruts. Large ruts are dangerous and a liability. Depending on the soil, the only way to get rid of them may be by adding gravel, which is a different liability.

We have since found an old drive-in theatre that has been closed down since the mid 1970's. I've found the owner, negotiated a "conditional" lease with him, and now we are awaiting approval from the various county officials and agencies before we can progress any further.

All of the existing parking ramps are still in place, speaker poles still intact on most of them, the old concessions/projection building still stands, but will be torn down to make way for the new one. The original screen is gone, but the foundations are still in place.

The property is "technically" outside of the city limits, but falls within the "City Master Planning - Growth Zone".

Adam has a good point about the asphalt breaking up and creating trip hazards. I've seen some drive-ins that are completely paved that are just waiting for a lawsuit. Over time the asphalt has broken up and big chunks are raised which will make it very easy for someone to catch the end of their shoe on them, causing a fall, onto a very hard surface. Drive-ins like that also tend to look unmaintained and could disuade attendance.

I also agree that you are not providing a parking lot in the general sense. You may want to TACTFULLY make the point with the county officials that your business is a MOVIE THEATRE, not a parking lot where people would park, leave their cars unattended until they return, and where comfort is not an issue. Your patrons (who by the way are their tax payers and the people they serve, but again be tactful) will likely appreciate spending quality time and (taxable) money in a generally green open space (sort of like a park hint hint) than they would a paved-over lot. This is where you might put to use Jerry's idea about getting the support of a local environmental group. If you do, however, make sure it is a friendly, well spoken organization who would help your cause, not a group that would handcuff themselves to a guardrail in front of the property and refuse to leave unless they get promises that it won't be paved.

I'm also wondering if there are any local family-oriented organizations that would be willing to provide you with letters of support for a grassy, non-paved field. Not knowing that area, I can't suggest any specific organizations, but I'm thinking of groups that might promote some type of outdoor family activities.

Also, stress that you are attempting to bring an affordable FAMILY entertainment option to the county. In order to do that you must accomodate the needs and comfort of the patrons for hours at a time. That's where the soft grassy surface where they can sit on lawn chairs or lie on blankets comes in, if you plan on having a policy that permits outside seating. It's much easier on the rumps of those people sitting on the ground. Plus, as you mentioned, the grass would be cooler than asphalt during the peak of summer.

I've seen some paved drive-ins that are nicely maintained but in general I think the grassy theatres are more comfortable.

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