We designed the Great Burger Site Redevelopment to serve the community’s need for a quality fast-food restaurant on a 2.6-acre property containing an existing development. Our team developed a full site plan for the western half of the site, including building placement, parking, stormwater design, utility connections, and transportation improvements, while the eastern half remained open for future development.
We began by confirming the zoning as an Activity Zone and used the City of Tallahassee Land Development Code to identify design requirements including building setbacks, landscaping rules, impervious surface limits, and minimum parking ratios. Since the site included a drive-through, internal vehicle circulation was a major focus. We checked that the drive-through stacking distance was adequate and developed sight distance triangles using sponsor-provided data and Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) standards. We chose driveway locations to optimize safety and access.
We designed an on-site stormwater system using the FDOT Drainage Manual and the TR-55 method. We created a grading plan to direct runoff to the proposed inlets and maintained ADA-compliant routes across the site. We extended water, sewer, and fire lines from nearby utilities and included a grease trap to handle restaurant waste.
The biggest challenges were parking demand, stormwater pond placement, and internal traffic flow. We reviewed multiple layout options during design and adjusted the building orientation and parking layout to improve efficiency. The final design met the required standards and supported redevelopment along the Apalachee Parkway corridor.