Welcome to our forum.
Your only option is no cover lift at all, which is less than ideal. As far as the drain, honestly I would buy a 30+ dollar submersible pump, it's fast and easy.
...just make sure you can get to the pumps if you need to. When I bought my spa it has 3 therapy pumps along with a circ pump and I thought they were all under the topside controls ... nope, one pump is under the filter so if I ever have to get to it I will be a little cramped unless I take a portion of the railing down on the deck.
"Drain on left"Not sure if I missed it or if you know... (at least on my 2014 J470)The drain on the left is for the quick drain only. There is another drain on the front right corner that you hook a hose up to.The quick drain hose they send is barely longer than a foot or two past the tub.