Chick-fil-A in Coral Springs. {Chick-fil-A}
By Bryan Boggiano
Coral Springs residents who want more chicken and less traffic might be in luck.
The planning and zoning board discussed two items related to a drive-through expansion at their Monday meeting, making to-go operations at a Chick-fil-A hotspot more efficient.
On behalf of property owners CGNA-NC Townridge Square and Carole Ann Revere Living Trust, Nicole Cianchetti plans to make various improvements to the existing Chick-fil-A drive-through to reduce traffic issues along University Drive.
The plan’s key points include reconfiguring parking in the building’s rear, expanding the drive-through from one lane to two lanes, improving drive-through circulation, and increasing the facility’s area by 232 square feet.
Currently, Chick-fil-A occupies a 4,625-square-foot space on a 1.43-acre lot that fronts University Drive. It shares a building with Boca Raton Bridal South.
There is shared parking in front of the building and additional parking in the back in a vacated alley immediately west of multifamily units.
Under the existing configuration, patrons can access Chick-fil-A from the Mobile gas station or University Drive, counterclockwise along the building’s south side.
The result has been stacked traffic on University Drive, which city documents state impedes travel during peak times.
With the new improvements, vehicles entering from University Drive will head directly east into one of the new lanes and circulate clockwise.
The result would be vehicle stacking removed from University Drive. A staff member from Chick-fil-A will still direct traffic on an as-needed basis.
The total parking will increase from 73 spaces to 116, primarily in the building’s rear. This area has densely present invasive exotics and will undergo clearing and landscaping improvements, including adding a retention pond on the lot’s northern end.
For the project to take place, the city commission must grant both a special exception and a conditional use approval. The planning and zoning board discussed whether to forward them a favorable or unfavorable recommendation.
The conditional use approval stems from the original conditional use the city commission granted Chick-fil-A on Jan. 3, 2006.
At the time, Chick-fil-A needed that approval to operate a fast food restaurant in a community business (B-2) area. Since that approval included only one lane, a new conditional approval must account for the addition.
The board also added a condition stating property owners must contact nearby residents to address their concerns.
According to the city code, there must be two additional lanes, including one for circulation and a separate escape. To be code compliant, there would need to be two ten-foot drive-through lanes, one ten-foot-wide escape lane, and one ten-foot-wide circulation lane.
While the proposal includes a 12-foot-wide circulation lane, no separate escape lane exists.
Other necessary conditions include building a six-foot-high privacy wall along the east side of the property, installing dense landscaping on both sides of the wall, installing trees between 14 and 16 feet high on the site, obtaining any necessary platting changes, and conducting and submitting a noise study.
Despite this, after reviewing the site plan and traffic study, the city’s traffic consultant determined the proposed improvements would not degrade roadway service and that the upgrades are superior to the status quo.
The board’s recommendation to the commission was clear: Eat Mor Chikin!
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