Planning commission conditionally recommends Chick‑fil‑A at Arlington Ridge amid traffic concerns

The City of Green Planning & Zoning Commission on Nov. 19 recommended a conditional approval for a Chick‑fil‑A site plan at South Arlington Road and Arlington Ridge Road, voting 4–1 to forward the project to final engineering review and any necessary Board of Zoning Appeals variances. Commissioner Birch moved the recommendation; the chair seconded.

Planning staff and the applicant highlighted a redevelopment of the existing restaurant parcel to a roughly 4,800‑square‑foot Chick‑fil‑A with dual drive‑through lanes, an order canopy, a screened dumpster enclosure and wall signage and a tenant panel on the plaza ID sign. Staff said the facility would provide about 90 interior seats and roughly 16 outdoor seats, and noted the drive‑through stacking plan shows approximately 35–40 spaces between the lanes, which exceeds minimum code stacking requirements.

The commission’s conditional recommendation requires final engineering approval of site improvement plans (including the proposed right‑turn lane and stormwater calculations), the applicant’s receipt of BZA variances for the canopy and dumpster located in the front yard and front‑yard setbacks, replacement of the canopy, and execution of a permanent roadway and utility easement along Arlington Ridge to accommodate the proposed right‑turn lane.

Project representatives described design and traffic mitigation. Greg Monig of Wolpert, the project representative, said the proposal would demolish the existing building and build the new Chick‑fil‑A with a wraparound dual drive‑through designed to keep most queues on site. “There’s a lot of stacking within that, for the vehicles,” Monig said, and the team said they would raise a parapet if rooftop equipment proved visible in final sight‑line studies.

Sean Walker, principal development lead for Chick‑fil‑A, provided operational estimates, saying peak‑hour transactions in comparable markets typically run “about 120 to 180 transactions,” and that about 60% of business is usually drive‑through while roughly 30% is dine‑in. Walker cautioned transactions are not the same as cars because a single vehicle can generate multiple transactions.

City planning and engineering staff acknowledged traffic at the Arlington Ridge–Arlington Road intersection is already constrained and outlined a phased mitigation approach: remove a stop sign on a feeder leg to allow a free‑flow approach into the site, add a dedicated right‑turn lane (requiring the easement), and adjust signal phasing so right turns can overlap with left‑turn phasing. Jamal Adami, SH Engineering’s traffic engineer, said engineers are adding an overlap so the right‑turn movement can operate without losing time on the main signal.

Multiple commissioners and residents pressed the applicant and staff about whether the proposed fixes would prevent spillback into adjacent parking aisles and encourage cut‑throughs on neighborhood streets. Resident Suzanne Weiser said she plans to monitor the site and asked how the design would handle stacked vehicles during peak lunch periods: “Where are the extra 15 cars gonna be on this?” she asked, describing existing difficulty leaving the plaza from some access points. The landlord’s representative, Tasha Glodine, said the landlord has worked with Chick‑fil‑A and Target and that several tenants supported the project as a way to reactivate a long‑vacant storefront.

Planner and engineering staff repeatedly emphasized that final permits would not be issued until engineering plans for the right‑turn lane and other improvements are finalized and approved. Staff also noted that if Phase 1 fixes prove inadequate, the city and applicant could pursue additional measures — including further signal or roadway work — and, if necessary, negotiations with Target about underused parking areas in the plaza.

Votes at a glance: the commission’s motion recommended conditional approval contingent on final engineering approval of the site improvement plans (including the proposed turn lane and stormwater calculations), applicant receipt of variances from the BZA for canopy and dumpster/front‑yard setbacks, replacement of the canopy, and execution of a roadway and utility easement along Arlington Ridge. The roll call on that motion recorded four votes in favor and one opposed. The commission also approved Oct. 15, 2025 meeting minutes (record shows one abstention).

Next steps: the commission’s recommendation moves the project forward to final engineering review and required BZA hearings for the variances; permits will depend on completion of those conditions. The Planning & Zoning Commission noted the right‑turn lane design and signal phasing must be finalized before construction permits are issued.