Planning committee clears first‑reading for Chick‑fil‑A plat amid traffic concerns

The Planning, Community and Economic Development Committee voted to send a dedication‑plat request tied to a Chick‑fil‑A development to the full City Council for first reading, with members urging further traffic verification and coordination with adjacent property owners.

The request, presented by the applicant’s representative, asks the city to accept roughly 165 feet of right‑of‑way along Arlington Ridge so the developer can construct an additional lane and adjust signal timing to ease congestion when the restaurant opens, the staff presentation said. Chair Noble said the public meeting on the zoning change and plat will be held at the regular council meeting that evening.

Why it matters: Committee members repeatedly said the site’s short queue distance and the proximity of the Target Plaza create a high risk of vehicle stacking that could spill onto Arlington Road. Chair Noble and other members said the added right‑of‑way is necessary to build a second turn lane and to give the city control of a small strip so traffic engineering fixes can be implemented.

"We may make that second lane a right‑through as well," the applicant’s representative said, describing possible lane design changes and a follow‑up traffic‑engineer review. Noble said the earlier traffic study already recommended removing an inbound stop sign and modifying signal timing to reduce backups.

Several council members asked whether the plat and lane changes would require modifications to the Target Plaza parking configuration or a realignment of Jarvis to lengthen queue storage. "We may be able to control access from the Target Plaza within our right of way," the applicant’s representative said, and staff noted Target owns part of the plaza and some changes would need agreement with the property owner.

Committee members asked the applicant to verify whether a dual right‑turn or a combined straight/right lane would function better in practice and to confirm signal‑timing adjustments with the city engineer. Chair Humphrey said he supported moving the item forward so construction could begin but urged continued proactive problem‑solving: "I don't want opening week to be backed up from day one," he said.

Next step: The committee will present motions for first reading at the next council meeting so the applicant may proceed with construction planning; staff and the applicant agreed to refine lane geometry and signal‑timing plans based on engineer review before or after first reading.

Provenance: Topic introduced in committee by the applicant’s representative and staff (topic first raised SEG 505) and discussed through committee close (topic last addressed SEG 1069).

Speakers: Noble (Chair, Planning Committee); Weathy (applicant representative/staff presenter); Humphrey (Council member, Finance Chair); various committee members and city staff.

Topics: chickfila_plat, right_of_way, traffic, planning

Sections:{"lede":"The Planning, Community and Economic Development Committee voted to send a right‑of‑way dedication plat tied to a Chick‑fil‑A development to the City Council for first reading, while pressing the applicant and city staff for additional traffic‑control work.","nut_graf":"Committee members said a 165‑foot right‑of‑way dedication and an additional lane are intended to ease queuing at the Arlington Ridge/Target Plaza approach but raised concerns about parking‑lot access, queue length and the need for signal timing and possible parking reconfiguration. The committee agreed to move the item forward to allow the developer to begin construction planning while staff and the applicant refine traffic mitigations.","ending":"The item will be on the upcoming council agenda for first reading; staff and the applicant committed to follow‑up traffic verification and coordination with affected property owners."}