Planning Commission approves In-N-Out Burger site plan, contingent on staff conditions

The Hendersonville Planning Commission on a unanimous 8-0 vote approved a combined request from In-N-Out Burger to add “restaurant, quick service” to a final development plan, remove “gas fuel station” as an allowed use, amend the subdivision plat to reduce the front setback, and approve the related site plan — all contingent on resolution of outstanding staff comments, including traffic improvements.

The decision covers a 1.96-acre parcel at 100 North Anderson Lane in front of Zaxby’s and Brewster’s Ice Cream. Planning staff said the proposal calls for a 3,860-square-foot building, a required minimum of 46 parking spaces and a proposed 81 spaces; the site plan shows 26 queuing spaces in the drive-through.

Why it matters: the change replaces an auto fuel use with a quick-service restaurant, which commissioners and nearby business owners said will affect traffic patterns and customer flows along Anderson Lane and East Main Street.

Planning staff (Timothy, project planner) told commissioners the plan retains two existing access points: a shared access with Zaxby’s on North Anderson Lane and an existing driveway south of Brewster’s; the fuel-station access closest to East Main Street would be removed. To achieve adequate internal queuing, the applicant requested a reduction of the front setback on the plat from 60 feet to 20 feet and a waiver from a city building-design standard that requires 60 percent glazing on any side that faces a street. The applicant proposes 40.7 percent glazing facing East Main Street, 12.2 percent facing North Anderson Lane and 57 percent on the third side; staff noted the applicant had increased landscaping and wall articulation to offset the shortfall.

Jeff Bryant, identified as In-N-Out’s development manager, described operational steps the restaurant will use to manage queuing and traffic, saying the company will deploy a third-party "All Star Team" to assist at opening and use handheld order takers and additional grills during peak periods to keep vehicles on-site. "We will bring in third party traffic controllers," Bryant said, adding the company has overstacking plans and can "easily handle outside of our stack a total of about 60 cars while maintaining circulation." He also said the company conducted a traffic study and proposed intersection improvements including adding a left-turn lane off Anderson Lane.

Nearby business owner Nicole Fedorchek, who owns Brewster’s Ice Cream adjacent to the site, spoke in favor of the change, saying a restaurant would bring customers to the area. Resident Talia Polk expressed support but asked how drive-through stacking would be managed so cars would not back onto Anderson or Main Street; staff and the applicant said traffic-study findings and operational controls will address that and remain outstanding staff items.

Commissioners asked about parking and stacking. Commissioner Silkwood said the packet and the applicant’s operational plans, including staff assistance at opening, helped address public concerns about traffic. Planning staff recommended approval of all three items together with a condition that all outstanding staff comments be satisfied; if the traffic study or other staff requirements cannot be met, the approvals would not take effect and the prior uses and plat would remain unchanged.

Commissioner Alderson moved to approve the change of use, the plat amendment and the site plan with the condition that outstanding staff comments (including traffic improvements) be resolved; the motion carried by roll call, 8-0.

What’s next: the approvals are contingent on final staff sign-offs and any infrastructure work triggered by the traffic study. Staff and the applicant said they will continue to coordinate on final engineering and access improvements.