Chick-fil-A To Begin Construction in July

Framingham Selectmen unanimously approved a license to Chick-fil-A to open at Shoppers World in Framingham, once construction is completed.

Selectmen voted 3-0 to approve the license ( Michael Bower and Jason Smith were not present for the vote.)

Framingham Selectman Cheryl Tully Stoll, said before the vote, she was disappointed to learn Chick-fil-A had selected Framingham for a franchise.

Framingham Patch was the first media outlet to announce that the chain wanted to open in Framingham, back in December 2014.

She said senior management for the fast food chain has been known to ”discriminate against gays and lesbians” and to “donate to hate groups.”

“I don’t have the same clout that Mayor Menino had, so I will support” the license, said Stoll.

In 2012, the late Thomas Menino, as mayor of Boston wrote a letter to the owner of Chick-fil-A stating he personally was not interested in the chain coming to Boston. Menino wrote opening a Chick-fil-A restaurant across the street from City Hall was “an insult to [same-sex couples] and to our city’s long history of expanding freedom.”

Stoll, last night, reminded the lawyer representing the applicant and the manager of the site that in Massachusetts gays and lesbians are a protective class and she expects the Framingham location to uphold all state laws.

In March, the Framingham Planning Board voted 4-0 to approve an application for a 4,779 square foot location next to Kohl’s department store in Shoppers World.

The applicants told Selectmen Tuesday night construction is slated to begin in July.

The restaurant, known for its chicken sandwiches and waffle fries, would be located in the northeast corner of the Kohl’s shopping area. Access to the new restaurant would be through the Kohl’s parking lot, although the restaurant would be visible from Route 30.

The restaurant’s application also requesting a special permit for a drive-thru plus a special permit to reduce the number of required parking spaces.

The restaurant would be able to seat 128 patrons, plus an additional dozen patrons in a patio area.

Twenty-five parking space would be lost in the Kohl’s lot with the proposed construction of the restaurant.

The fast-food chicken restaurant chain is considered controversial, as it does not open any of 1,850 locations in 41 states on Sunday, due to religious reasons. The chain had annual sales of more than $5 billion in 2013.

Chick-fil-A, in its application, said the new location would bring 12 permanent jobs and 10 part-time jobs.