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Commission questions Chick-fil-A plan to add 10 employee spaces amid traffic and circulation concerns
Summary
Chick-fil-A’s proposal to add 10 parking spaces and shave a curb to extend queueing at 4885 Main Street drew skepticism from commissioners and staff, who cited circulation issues on Wilkes Lane and a staff parking study that found vacant spaces during peak lunch hours.
The Planning Commission reviewed a site-plan modification from Chick-fil-A for 4885 Main Street at its May 27 work session; work sessions do not include final votes. The applicant seeks to add 10 employee parking spaces on the west side of the site and adjust curb geometry to lengthen queuing for vehicles exiting onto Wilkes Lane.
Staff summarized prior comments from the March 24 work session and raised concerns about circulation, traffic backing onto Wilkes Lane, and whether the proposed additional parking would worsen internal circulation. Staff requested clearer building-setback distances, bicycle parking, and a revised landscape plan. Staff also asked the applicant to explain the disadvantages of using adjacent parking areas for employees.
Drew Stokes, representing Chick-fil-A, said employees currently use adjacent Marshall’s parking under an informal arrangement and that the proposed spaces would give employees a safer on-site option rather than crossing Wilkes Lane. He said the applicant reduced an original request for 12 spaces to 10 after staff feedback about proximity to the Wilkes Lane intersection.
Multiple commissioners and the mayor expressed skepticism that 10 spaces would materially solve the site’s circulation problems. Mayor Fitterer and Commissioner Connolly said the restaurant routinely has significantly more than 10 employees on shift and questioned whether additional stalls would alleviate peak congestion. Commissioner Connolly asked about proximity to adjacent residences and the potential for garbage-truck conflicts with proposed stalls near dumpsters.
Commissioner Groeninger and others said Wilkes Lane has safety and speed concerns and suggested staff explore a crosswalk or other mitigations; Groeninger said staff and the applicant should look for alternatives to reduce nighttime or early-morning activity that could disturb neighbors. Staff showed an aerial image from a peak Friday lunch and said on multiple site visits staff observed vacant parking spaces during peak hours; based on those observations staff will not recommend the request. The applicant indicated they could label additional stalls for employee parking if approved.
Commissioners discussed whether the commission should reserve the proposed change for consent; no final action occurred at the work session and staff requested a parking study to better document typical peak conditions.
