Napa Valley goes to war with fast food and locals are furious

California’s famed wine country is coming for the drive-thru.Napa officials are weighing restrictions on new and expanded drive-thrus in a green push to curb car dependency and planet-warming emissions, but some locals fear the plan will simply trade idling cars for packed restaurants and more traffic headaches.The Napa Planning Commission recently directed city staff to move forward with the restrictions, according to CBS—potentially putting the brakes on future drive-thrus across the city.The crackdown wouldn’t just hit fast-food joints.Restaurants, retail stores, banks, pharmacies and even car washes could all be affected by the proposed restrictions, although existing drive-thrus, including Napa’s In-N-Out and McDonald’s, would be spared.City officials argue drive-thru developments encourage car dependency and leave motorists sitting in long lines with engines idling, pumping out unnecessary emissions.Not everyone is buying it.“It’s kind of a little asinine; it’s just going to cause more traffic inside of restaurants,” resident Anthony Pecello told CBS News.Others are ready to ditch the drive-thru.“I’m for it because everyone can go inside and spend time together and save the environment,” resident Rachel Bell said.UC Davis environmental professor Chris Cappa said all that time spent sitting behind the wheel waiting for a burger or coffee can have a bigger environmental impact than drivers might assume.“The emissions during idling are about half or a quarter during the same amount while driving.So, it really is more than you might think,” Cappa told the outlet.The city is also grappling with accessibility concerns for customers who may have difficulty going inside businesses.Under the current draft, businesses would still be able to offer curbside pickup and designated pickup spaces, a city official told the outlet.The proposal is still in its early stages and Napa’s Planning Commission does not have the final word.

That decision w...