The length of a conversation over fast-food drive-thru approvals took some Fresno City Council members by surprise Thursday. What some thought would be a simple land-use approval turned into a discussion about how business-friendly Fresno is, consistency in planning, and the environment.

“Who knew this would be the hottest item of the day?” Fresno City Council President Mike Karbassi joked.

Hotter than a hamburger sizzling on the grill, as it turned out.

After 1 hour and 20 minutes, the council voted 6-1 to exempt businesses with drive-thrus from city regulations requiring them to be at least 100 feet away from bus rapid transit stations and 400 feet from other drive-thrus — a policy in place since 2016. The exemption applies to properties that are forced to move because of a public wor

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