Brentwood Planning and Zoning Wednesday approved, 6-3, a new Chick-fil-A at 8590 Eager Road, the current location of a Macaroni Grill, which will be removed.
In previous meetings the committee focused mostly on traffic and congestion issues. That, and if the location is right for a fast food restaurant were the main points discussed Wednesday.
Several commission members were concerned about cars (coming from Eager Road) turning right into the parking lot, with cars leaving from the same entrance.
Crawford Bunte Brammeier (CBB), traffic engineers, had two options: 1) increase the radius of the corner, or 2) remove parking spaces on each side (5 total) so cars leaving those spots won’t be blocked by traffic, and also increase the radius. Lee Cannon of CBB said option one is better than option two. “One isn’t necessarily unsafe. It’s less safe,” he said.
Woolpert, the engineering firm on the project, removed three parking spots out of the plan, not five.
Commission member David Dimmitt said even when a past applicant has incorporated all the traffic recommendations there can be issues. “The classic example is Starbucks, on Brentwood Boulevard,” he said. “Here I’m looking at an applicant that’s not willing to do everything the engineer is saying should be done.” He said the odds are against it going well.
Rich Obertino said Chick-fil-A had met the spirit of what was requested, but David Plufka disagreed.
“We should not be chastised for trying to hold a new tenant, who is going to increase volume, that we hold them to the simple recommendations made by our city engineers,” he said. Plufka said it’s close to impossible to find a spot at Whole Foods or the Promenade at times.
Jennifer Hansen said it wasn’t the best spot for a Chick-fil-A. “I think about the Brentwood Promenade; the nightmare that is, in terms of inconvenience and getting around,” she said. “I think about the irritation level of one more plaza in Brentwood having a nightmare parking situation.”
Dimmitt asked if 20 years ago, when the area was being planned, if fast food restaurants were included. He said a drive-thru restaurant is a step backward.
Sheri Bilderback said she has been on planning and zoning 13 years. She said at the time there was a vision for a ‘European Village.’ “Did it include fast food restaurants? No. Not one,” she said.
Mayor, Pat Kelly, who sat in the front row at the meeting, spoke twice before the commission.
“It’s easy to sit back and ask what was our vision? I can tell you, we winged it a lot,” he said. “We put out an RFP for everything from Hanley Road to Brentwood Boulevard. In our vision, we ended up with the Promenade.”
On the traffic issue, Kelly said, “I have a feeling that the traffic will work. While it could be better, it could always be better.”
Yes votes for Chick-fil-A: David Plufka, Dan Glowski, Sheri Bilderback, Terry Noles, Rich Obertino, Clint Lewis
No votes for Chick-fil-A: David Dimmitt, Jennifer Hansen, John Nuernberger
The proposal is set to go to the Brentwood Board of Aldermen in January.
That lot should have enough room for a drive-thru.
The entrance to Starbucks should be from the side street and NOT Brentwood Blvd.
I dislike being the nick in that great old LP album that keeps replaying 5-6 song words until you nudge the needle. But does “Over-commercialization of Brentwood is problematic” ring any bells?
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