Chick-fil-A Proposal Rejected In Milford: Here's What To Know

MILFORD, CT — Chick-fil-A is one of the most popular fast-food franchises in the U.S., but it looks like it won't be coming to Milford soon.

The Planning and Zoning Board rejected a proposal to add a Milford restaurant by a 6-to-1 vote at its meeting Tuesday night. Chick-fil-A was seeking to build a location in the parking lot of Milford Crossing, a 1357 Boston Post Road plaza.

The dual-lane drive-thru restaurant would have been on the other end of the parking lot from Barnes & Noble.

The location was proposed in the city's Shopping Center Design District, which doesn't specifically allow or prohibit drive-thru service, so a special exception was required for the project to move forward.

The 5,097-square-foot restaurant would have included 90 seats inside and 16 more seats on an outdoor patio.

Chas Evans, an engineer on the project, noted that revisions had been made to the proposal including striping on pedestrian pathways and generally better "pedestrian connectivity to the center."

Board members expressed concerns about the potential for traffic bottlenecks coming out of the dual drive-thru lanes.

"It doesn't function in a way that makes sense to me," Chairman Jim Quish said at the meeting.

John Martinez, a Chick-fil-A development manager, noted that dual lanes are the franchise's preferred setup to prevent bottlenecking and reduce the length of lines. Chick-Fil-A fulfills orders by workers bringing orders out to cars in the drive-thru lanes.

Quish spoke about his reasons for voting against the project, which some other members echoed. He had concerns about the traffic flow at the site, including Chick-fil-A employees having to cross a road from another parking lot to reach the restaurant.

The reduction of parking spaces and possible pedestrian safety concerns also factored into the board's decision.

Member Bryan Anderson said other Chick-fil-A restaurants in the area are in freestanding buildings. The proposal brought to the board would force a restaurant into a plaza that "already has issues" with traffic lanes and parking.

Other tenants at Milford Crossing include Walmart, Marshalls, Home Goods, Staples, and Petco.

Chick-fil-A currently has 16 Connecticut locations, with those nearby in Shelton and West Haven. The chain is known for its fried chicken sandwiches and waffle fries.

The West Haven store is drive-thru only and opened last year.

Read more: Some Concerns Raised Over Proposed Chick-Fil-A In Milford

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