DETROIT – Plans have been proposed to erect a Chick-fil-A restaurant on the far east side of Detroit, and some neighbors and parents think it’s a bad idea.
A project has been proposed to demolish a building at the intersection of Mack Avenue and Marseilles Street, and to build the popular fast food restaurant chain in its place. That location is already home to a busy intersection, and the project site is next door to the Giving Tree Montessori Learning Center.
Neighbors and parents of children who attend the learning center are worried about the traffic that Chick-fil-A franchise locations tend to bring. Though the proposed project includes a wrap-around drive-thru plan that would fit inside of its parking lot, that drive-thru traffic often spills out onto the roads surrounding the restaurant.
Developers and consultants presented plans and addressed previous concerns about emergency exit lanes during a virtual land use hearing held Wednesday, Oct. 18 by the Detroit Buildings, Safety Engineering and Environmental Department. During that hearing, it was explained that an emergency exit lane would be included in the parking lot plans, and how other, similar businesses operate in the area.
Minutes from that hearing can be found on the city’s website here.
While there are local businesses that support the project, people who live on the street and parents of children at the nearby Montessori told Local 4 the residential streets already get congested during pick up and drop off times, and there are already speeding drivers. There are also concerns about the air pollution from the exhaust of vehicles waiting in the drive-thru.
Neighbors argue that the Starbucks location a few of blocks away only sees high traffic in the morning, but they believe a Chick-fil-A will be consistently busy all day long.
No decision was made at the Wednesday hearing. A decision is expected in the weeks to come.
Watch Megan Woods’ full report below.