Planning commission approves Chick-fil-A site plan with added sidewalk condition

The Beaver Creek Planning Commission voted to approve a specific site plan for a Chick-fil-A restaurant on a 1.95-acre parcel in the Raiders Row / PUD26-1 area, approving the project with 18 conditions after adding a requirement for a sidewalk connection on the parcel’s southern edge.

Walpert Incorporated representative Dave Tyber described the proposed 5,218-square-foot building and a dual-lane drive-thru layout. "More than half of the sales will result through the drive-thru," Tyber said, and he described features intended to support drive-thru safety, including order canopies, fan/heater elements for staff and marked pedestrian crossings through the site.

Staff noted the site meets parking and storm-water requirements for the zoning designation: the code requires 69 spaces for the proposed building and the plan provides 74. Staff also estimated on-site stacking capacity—for the portion up to the first ordering canopy—of roughly 40 cars, and said the overall site can accommodate about 70 vehicles before reaching the private roadway. The project will rely on a final subdivision to record cross-access easements that provide access between the Chick-fil-A parcel and adjacent lots.

Commissioners and the developer discussed pedestrian access to Wright State University and whether the proposed site layout aligns with the city’s recently approved Beaver Creek plan for more walkable, mixed-use development in the corridor. Staff said a north-side pedestrian connection is shown in the plans; commissioners pressed for an additional southern sidewalk or access point to limit the risk of pedestrians walking through drive-thru lanes. A commissioner moved to add a condition requiring "a sidewalk access point located on the southern portion of the property" (exact location to be determined later); the motion was seconded and approved.

The final roll-call on the site-plan approval recorded one dissenting vote: Mr. Fountain voted no; the remaining commissioners voted yes and the motion carried by a 4-1 margin. Staff noted next steps include recording the final plat and ensuring cross-access easements are in place before occupancy and that utilities and storm-water infrastructure tied to the larger development will be completed as part of the subdivision process.

The commission closed the public hearing after hearing from one Wright State student who asked about construction and traffic impacts and from the master developer, who described the project as an amenity for campus and the surrounding district.