{"id":4845,"date":"2026-08-07T08:38:34","date_gmt":"2026-08-07T13:38:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lenaweevoice.com\/?p=4845"},"modified":"2026-09-03T23:50:24","modified_gmt":"2026-09-04T04:50:24","slug":"plans-for-adrian-chick-fil-a-get-planning-commission-approval","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lenaweevoice.com\/staging\/7542\/2026\/08\/07\/plans-for-adrian-chick-fil-a-get-planning-commission-approval\/","title":{"rendered":"Plans for Adrian Chick-fil-A get planning commission approval"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"The
The site of the planned Chick-fil-A restaurant in Adrian.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

ADRIAN \u2014 Plans for a Chick-Fil-A on Division Street near Lowe\u2019s received conditional approval from the Adrian City Planning Commission at its Aug. 4 meeting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Planning commissioners had only minor requests for changes to the plan, which was presented by Leslie Accardo, senior project manager with the civil engineering firm PEA group. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before describing the site plan, Accardo described the company\u2019s franchising model. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey like to get someone in the area who\u2019s local and this is their full-time job, so they don\u2019t have 10 Chick-fil-A\u2019s, they typically just have one,\u201d she said. \u201cIn rare cases they may have up to three.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That means franchise owners \u201care very much involved in everyday operations,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Accardo said the plans call for a restaurant with both indoor and outdoor seating and a drivethrough lane. All access would be through the Lowe\u2019s parking lot, with no driveways being added onto Division Street. The property would be subleased from Lowe\u2019s, which Accardo said has reviewed and signed off on the plans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Planning commissioners asked several questions about the proposal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Number of parking spaces: <\/strong>The city zoning code would normally call for 15 to 18 parking spaces for a building this size (approximately 4,500 square feet), but the Chick-fil-A plan calls for 49. \u201cIt\u2019s because we do have a large dine-in customer base that do spend their time in the restaurant,\u201d Accardo said, adding that there will also be a play area in the restaurant. The chain\u2019s customers are typically 40% dine-in and 60% drivethrough, she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pedestrian access:<\/strong> With a sidewalk recently having been installed along Division Street, planning commissioners asked about pedestrian access from it. \u201cWhen we first started this project, there was no sidewalk out front. We\u2019ll take a look at that and try to provide some pedestrian access,\u201d Accardo said. She added that the company does not want pedestrians going through the drivethrough lane, so the pedestrian access plan will avoid that. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Overflow traffic: <\/strong>The site plan review by McKenna, the consulting firm that provides planning and zoning services to the city, noted that some other Chick-fil-A restaurants in Michigan have experienced their drivethrough lines spilling outside of the site boundaries. \u201cWhat\u2019s your plan for excess drivethrough traffic if the lines are full?\u201d asked planning commissioner Don Taylor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCurrently we have 35 stacking spaces,\u201d Accardo said, adding that space for 35 vehicles in the drivethrough is typical for a larger market and \u201cwe\u2019re not expecting that same level of volume here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cChick-fil-A does a really good job with training the employees when they start,\u201d she added. \u201cThey go through traffic training, traffic control, just making sure that they\u2019re moving customers through the drivethrough lane. If there\u2019s ever a concern that there are people backing up, they will get people out there directing traffic.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Traffic control onto Division Street: <\/strong>The city engineering department originally asked that a \u201cRight Turn Only\u201d sign be installed where drivers would exit the southernmost Lowe\u2019s driveway onto Division Street. Accardo said that any changes to the ingress or egress would cause Lowe\u2019s to reject the plan, and the planning commission ultimately did not ask for a turning restriction out of that driveway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The review by McKenna also noted that a few minor changes will be needed for ADA compliance in the parking area. No concerns were raised about compatibility with the surrounding area, as it is surrounded by other commercial uses and a similar drivethrough, 7Brew Coffee, was recently approved on the other side of Division Street.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The planning commission unanimously approved the site plan and special land use request, on the condition that sidewalk access and ADA compliance in the parking lot be addressed, and that exterior lighting be downward-facing and not have excessive spill into the surrounding area. The special land use permit was needed because Adrian’s zoning ordinance lists drivethroughs and restaurants with outdoor seating as acceptable uses in that district, but only with planning commission approval.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The address is 1369 Division St. Accardo said plans call for construction to begin in the spring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Click below to watch the Aug. 4. planning commission meeting.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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