Planning commission approves Chick-fil-A development plan after hours of traffic and easement debate

The Kokomo City Planning Commission on a voice vote approved a development plan for Chick‑fil‑A at 1014 South Reed Road after more than three hours of presentations and public comment about traffic, parking and a private easement dispute.

Commissioners heard detailed presentations from the petitioner team — attorney Misha Rabinowitz, Chick‑fil‑A development lead Sean Walker and real‑estate broker Patrick Boyle — and from Sandor Development representative Carrie Library. The petitioner team said the site is already zoned C‑2 (medium to large commercial), that the development plan meets the city’s development‑plan criteria and that prior variances were granted in January 2024 to increase on‑site green space and improve drainage. The commission approved the plan; the planning director will prepare written findings required by the ordinance.

The decision matters because the proposed restaurant sits inside a busy commercial plaza serving Markland and State Road 931, a location opponents said could shift traffic into nearby residential streets and strain existing drainage and local access points.

Petitioners and staff said the project meets the three development‑plan tests in the city code: consistency with the comprehensive plan, consistency with the intent of the subject C‑2 zoning district and satisfaction of zoning…