City of Wenatchee addresses public concerns over possible impacts to EZ’s Burger Deluxe

WENATCHEE — EZ’s Burger Deluxe has been a community landmark of Wenatchee dining for more than 30 years, since owner Pete Ezetta purchased the old Flying J service station and turned the building containing the office and restrooms into the drive-thru restaurant you know today.

A recent article and video interview published by NCW Life and The Wenatchee World, both owned by Arizona-based Wick Communications, described a scenario in which the City of Wenatchee expressed interest in acquiring parts of the parcel of land where EZ’s Burger Deluxe is located.

The interview and article focused exclusively on Ezetta and his belief that his restaurant would no longer be able to stay in business if the City were to acquire the land at issue, strips of the parcel in front of and behind the restaurant and its limited parking area. It garnered so much attention that it may have colored the public’s perception of the plan, which is part of the larger improvements to the city’s traffic issues at the north end of town already underway, as well as a planned shared-use trail for pedestrians and bicycles extending from Walnut Street to Maiden Lane.

Wenatchee Mayor Mike Poirier issued a statement directly addressing the issue of the possible EZ’s-related land acquisition, seeking to inform the public of what stage the planning is in and reassure people that the City intends to support local businesses no matter what.

“Thank you for your continued engagement regarding transportation improvements in our city,” he said. “I would like to provide you with an update on the two current projects along North Wenatchee Avenue that may affect the EZ’s property. The City is committed to transparency and community involvement as we move forward.”

He then listed the two projects under consideration — the North Wenatchee Avenue Shared-Use Trail Project and the ongoing North Wenatchee Avenue Corridor Improvements Project — along with the reasons the projects are or have been planned. The shared-use trail, which has been under consideration for some time, is intended to eventually extend across the Wenatchee River into Chatham Hills. But the project, he said, is still in a “conceptual” phase, meaning nothing has been started and the plans haven’t even been finalized.

Consequently, any impacts to EZ’s have not yet been determined from this project. In the video interview with Ezetta, his primary concern with that part of the possible land acquisition was, “I don’t want people walking back there when I’ve got my buildings out there with supplies in it.” Ezetta says that “it doesn’t make any sense. It just feels like it’s another piece of destroying my property.” As Wenatchee residents are well aware, however, shared-use trails allow for recreation and safer transportation for cyclists and pedestrians, as evidenced by the ten-mile Apple Capital Recreation Loop Trail that’s been in place for even longer than EZ’s Burger Deluxe.

The larger impact to EZ’s will likely be any acquisition of Avenue frontage area. Ezetta notes that he would lose his readerboard sign and his limited parking area. But in Poirier’s statement, he points out that the corridor improvement plan has been underway for some time, with planning stages reaching as far back as a decade. And the statement points out a significant reason why: According to a collision heat map provided with the statement, the City measured crashes along just the section of the Avenue that’s relevant to this part of the plan for the ten years between 2013 and 2023 and found that it was seeing nearly 30 per year, for a total of 296 during that time.

In a section titled “Impacts to EZ’s Property,” Poirier says that the City has shared preliminary design plans with EZ's and other corridor property owners to identify and minimize potential impacts early, and that a third-party appraiser will independently assess any necessary property acquisition. He noted that to date, no appraisals, offers, or negotiations have occurred. If full acquisition is required, the City will “ensure fair compensation, including assistance for relocation and business re-establishment,” he says.

Poirier reiterated in his statement that no property acquisition decisions have been finalized, and that any property owners involved in the process will be included in discussions. He encouraged anyone with questions or concerns to contact his office at City Hall, which can be reached at (509) 888-6204.

Cities and business owners have of course faced situations like this. Does a landmark business like EZ’s deserve priority consideration? How can all parties weigh the crash reduction and traffic benefits to everyone in Wenatchee against the potential impact on a small local business? The City is always open to communication with the public, and city council meetings as well as planning commission meetings are open for public comment, and their schedules posted regularly on the City’s website, wenatcheewa.gov.

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media