Bid For New Chick-Fil-A In Union County Rejected

UNION COUNTY, NJ — A proposal to build a drive-thru Chick-fil-A was shut down by the Springfield Board of Adjustment on Tuesday night.

All seven members of the board voted to deny the application for the popular fast food restaurant at the location on Route 22 that currently houses a Barnes & Noble. The bookstore has been at this location for the past 30 years.

If approved, the Barnes & Noble would have been demolished to make way for the Chick-fil-A.

Stephen Hehl — a Union-based attorney who presented the application to the board — argued that a Chick-fil-A would be suitable for the area. However, board members expressed concerns about the proximity of the fast food chain to residential areas in Springfield.

Chairman of the board Jodi Cohen said that a drive-thru restaurant is "an intense use" to be adjacent to a residential area. She argued that the restaurant could bring excessive noise, debris and traffic to neighboring Hillside Avenue.

"I do not believe that the burden has been met based on the evidence and testimony that I have heard," Cohen said. "I think that the benefits on this sites do not outweigh the detriments."

Hehl presented to the board several adjustments the applicant proposed for the site, which included a larger buffer area between the building and Hillside Avenue. The attorney said he received word that the Barnes & Noble is closing and encouraged the board to approve the Chick-fil-A application.

"The days, unfortunately, of bookstores and retail outlets are changing to more service-oriented [businesses]," Hehl said.

But according to Tapinto, while Barnes & Noble is nearing the end of its lease at the site, the store's manager has no desire to close the current location.

While Springfield has a Dunkin' drive-thru, and soon a Panera drive-thru, on Route 22, one board member pointed out that the Chick-fil-A would be the first drive-thru located near a residential area.

The board unanimously rejected the application on Tuesday night. You can view the full Board of Adjustment meeting on YouTube below:

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