Board OKs new Chick-fil-A location amid community pushback

CLINTON TOWNSHIP — A group of residents showed their opposition to a new Chick-fil-A location during a lengthy, well-attended Clinton Township Board of Trustees meeting on June 3.

The fast-food chain, which started opening locations in metro Detroit in 2020, got approval from the board for a location at Romeo Plank Road and Hall Road. The approximately 2-acre site is currently home to a Fifth Third Bank. Chick-fil-A representative Justin Lurk said the 5,109-square-foot building would feature 81 parking spaces, three bike racks and an outdoor patio.

A petition, signed by 267 residents, aimed to block the new development. Some came to the May 23 Planning Commission meeting to voice their concerns. The commission deadlocked with a 4-4 vote to deny, bringing it to the Board of Trustees.

Residents who attended the commission meeting, and even more residents, showed up to express similar views on June 3. One strongly came out in favor of the restaurant but the majority of the residents who spoke (a total of nine) came out against it.

Daniel Ewing, a resident in the Rivergate subdivision that would be impacted by the new Chick-fil-A, was critical of the development. Ewing mentioned being a former Chick-fil-A employee and not having a personal grudge against the company.

“That location is not good,” Ewing said. “As a Chick-fil-A value holder, I value their values. It’s not a good location for families. It’s not a good location for you to bring brand recognition because there are going to be problems with traffic. There are going to be problems with people. There are going to be problems caused by this location.”

“Don’t we have enough businesses?” Rivergate resident Constance Leonard said. “It’s corporate greed. Leave the neighborhoods alone. I don’t want to sit on my beautiful deck, on a home I pay outrageous taxes for, and smell chicken.”

“It’s just a bad idea,” said Gerry Miller, president of the Rivergate subdivision.

Lurk, with attorney Bob Kirk, gave a detailed presentation about the benefits of the location. Lurk gave a history of the company in Michigan, specifics of the development and presented a traffic study (with input by one of the Fishbeck study’s authors, Jill Bauer) to show its safety.

“Based on the analyses performed as part of this study, the development of the Chick-fil-A site will have minor impacts to the surrounding roadway network,” the study’s conclusion states. Though, it does recommend reconfiguring traffic signals in the area.

Trustee Dan Kress questioned who paid for the traffic study.

“This was paid for by the developer,” Bauer said.

“And it came out favorable to them?” Kress asked.

Bauer shrugged but didn’t respond.

Lurk said the scope of the study was agreed upon by the Michigan Department of Transportation and the Macomb County Department of Roads. Kirk added that companies typically do not move forward with a development if a traffic study is not favorable.

“These are important and they’re usually right on,” Kirk said of the study.

Cannon said he has no personal interest in the restaurant but said stopping the restaurant from taking the location would open the township up to a lawsuit. He said a similar thing happened when Walmart came to Clinton Township initially.

“If we don’t pass this, they will take us to court if they choose and they will win,” Cannon said. “How can you have two gas stations and a fast-food restaurant and say, ‘You can’t put another fast-food restaurant on the other corner?’ You cannot do that. it’s not good planning.”

The rezoning for the property from B-2 (community business) to B-3 (general business) was unanimously approved by the board. The special use and site plan approval for the property was the more controversial piece. Kress, Trustee Mike Keys and Trustee Julie Matuzak voted no, while Township Clerk Kim Meltzer, Supervisor Bob Cannon, Trustee Paul Gieleghem and Trustee Tammy Patton voted yes.