Planning commission approves Chick‑fil‑A at Springs Shopping Center with pedestrian, landscape and review conditions

The Palm Springs Planning Commission on March 25 approved a conditional use permit to demolish an existing in‑center building and construct a 4,707‑square‑foot Chick‑fil‑A restaurant with a drive‑through at the Springs Shopping Center, subject to conditions aimed at pedestrian safety, landscaping and architectural coordination.

Staff told commissioners the project replaces a larger, previously assumed retail floor area and, according to the shopping center’s environmental analysis, would reduce daily vehicle trips on the site (the staff presentation cited a reduction from 16,531 to 15,690 daily trips compared with the EIR baseline). The applicant proposed three drive‑through lanes with stacking capacity of up to 49 vehicles; the developer’s queueing and traffic analysis and operator testimony led to an extended public discussion about whether two lanes would be sufficient.

Applicant representatives said their operational model relies on two traditional drive‑through ordering lanes supplemented by a third “mobile‑through” lane dedicated to customers ordering through the restaurant app and to…