Committee approves Planned Development rezoning at McMillan and Taft to allow Chick‑fil‑A amid traffic and walkability debate

Kyle Gibbs, a planner with the Department of City Planning and Engagement, told the Equitable Growth & Housing Committee that the request from Union on Taft LLC (a subsidiary of Uptown Rental Properties) is to rezone two parcels at 198 E. McMillan Street and 237 William Howard Taft Road in Mount Auburn to a Planned Development (PD) to allow a mixed‑use project that would include the existing Union on Taft apartment building and a new Chick‑fil‑A restaurant with a two‑lane drive‑through.

Gibbs said the site totals roughly 5.5 acres, with phase 1 already completed: the Union on Taft apartments (converted from office space in 2023) contain 103 student housing units, 180 parking spaces and an outdoor courtyard. Phase 2 is approximately 1.5 acres now used as surface parking; the proposed restaurant would be a one‑story, approximately 5,020 sq. ft. building with about 76 parking spaces, two driveway entrances (one on Highland Avenue and one on East McMillan Street), a two‑lane drive‑through and a small outdoor seating area. The applicant proposed construction to begin in September 2025 and an opening in February 2026.

Gibbs and other staff described why a PD was pursued: the underlying zoning does not allow drive‑throughs in the proposed front‑yard location and moving the building to fully comply with one commercial district would have required multiple variances. Staff said they did not recommend a rezoning that would require numerous variances; the PD was presented by the applicant as the path forward that consolidates site controls and circulation under one zoning action.

The Department of Transportation and Engineering reviewed and accepted the applicant’s traffic analysis; Gibbs said the City Planning Commission found the site design and drive‑through location justified by the site’s proximity to I‑71 and existing traffic volumes, and the commission voted to recommend approval. Planning staff, however, recorded concerns that the plan is inconsistent with portions of Plan Cincinnati that favor pedestrian‑oriented, mixed‑use development and that a fast‑food, auto‑oriented use is not aligned with some policy sections; staff also said phase 2 alone would not meet minimum PD requirements (phase 2 is 1.5 acres while the PD requires a minimum of 2 contiguous acres and multiple buildings).

Applicants and supporters said the PD approach allows coordinated access for the adjacent apartment property and accommodates site topography, retaining walls, and operational needs for both residences and the restaurant. Dan Schumberg of Uptown Rental Properties emphasized his company’s long involvements in Mount Auburn and Uptown and described the PD as part of a larger plan that the developer expects to expand in future years; Sean Walker, principal development lead for Chick‑fil‑A, said the company designs dual‑lane drive‑throughs to handle high demand, noted local hiring and scholarship programs, and said the restaurant model provides a visible retail amenity for the Uptown market.

Public commenters and several council members expressed concerns. Speakers at the meeting urged the committee to reject or reconsider the PD because of traffic, the drive‑through’s placement on the corner, and the auto‑oriented design. Resident Riley Owens, a former University of Cincinnati student, said a double‑lane drive‑through at a prominent corner would encourage more driving and worsen existing congestion. Another speaker, Brendan Polti, urged consistency with the city’s goals for equitable, walkable redevelopment of a high‑potential corridor.

After discussion and several requests for additional information from members including questions about employment pay scales and corporate policies, the committee voted to approve the proposed zone change to Planned Development. Roll call on the final approval recorded six yea votes (Owens, Vice Mayor Kearney, Parks, Johnson, Walsh, KramerDing) and two nay votes (Albee, Nolan). The committee’s approval establishes the PD as the new base zoning; the applicant must next return to City Planning Commission with a final development plan for phase 2, and any future changes to the existing apartment building would require a major amendment to the PD.