The Walnut Creek Council denies appeal to Planning Commission’s Decision that approved a conditional use permit for a proposed Chick-fil-A
The Walnut Creek City Council took action to help mitigate traffic concerns about a proposed restaurant in the Citrus Marketplace Shopping Center on the corner of Oak Grove and Citrus Avenue. In a public hearing that spanned more than 5 hours, early this morning (May 22, 2024) the Council denied an appeal filed by a resident of a nearby neighborhood. The Chick-fil-A restaurant will be unusual for that chain, as it will have no drive-thru service, only dine-in or takeout. The new 5,300 square foot restaurant will replace a vacant 8,200 square foot building in the shopping center that has seen a number of vacancies in recent years.
There is an existing Chick-fil-A along North Main Street south of Geary Blvd. that has been the subject of complaints because its drive-thru line often queues up onto North Main Street. The new concept is intended to help alleviate that situation.
The project was reviewed by the City’s Design Review Commission in 2023 and approved by the Planning Commission in March of 2024. A resident in the nearby Woodlands neighborhood filed an appeal citing a variety of concerns, with potential traffic issues being the most significant. The City commissioned a licensed traffic engineering firm to evaluate the concerns about impact to neighborhood traffic. They compared data based upon other Chick-fil-A locations, as well as evaluating current conditions at the intersection. Two other shopping centers are in the same area.
The project met all of the zoning requirements for the shopping center, which is privately owned. The Council took note of the specific concerns from neighbors in the Woodlands community, and adopted requirements to monitor and improve traffic and congestion issues should they occur.
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