Chick-fil-A coming to Slatten Ranch in Antioch
At former Mimi’s Café location
One Planning Commissioner voted against because he disagrees with causes the restaurant chain’s owner donated to
By Allen D. Payton
If you’re wondering, as I am, what’s going in where the Mimi’s Café building was just torn down at 5705 Lone Tree Way in Antioch’s Slatten Ranch Shopping Center, the rumors are correct. It’s going to be a Chick-fil-A fast-food restaurant. Like their popular Pittsburg location, it will have two drive-through lanes.
According to Acting Community Development Director Kevin Scudero, the Planning Commission approved the Design Review for the chain’s new location during their meeting on March 15, 2023. (Sorry, folks. But I missed this one and no one told me, either!)
According to the city staff report for Item 8.1, “The applicant is seeking Design Review approval for the construction of a new 4,594 sq. ft. restaurant with two lane drive through at 5705 Lone Tree Way. The subject site is an existing 1.33-acre parcel with a vacant 6,886 sq. ft. restaurant built in 2003 (formerly Mimi’s Café). The applicant is proposing to demolish the existing building and construct a new 22 ft. tall restaurant with a double drive through for Chick Fil A. The restaurant will provide eighty-two (82) seats for on-site dining, a two-lane drive-through, and fifty-four (54) on-site parking spaces. Other site improvements include new canopies for the drive-through, lighting, landscaping, and parking lot improvements. Business hours are proposed to be 6am-11pm Monday-Saturday.”
The project includes a “Queue Management Plan. The applicant shall comply with the Queue Management Plan, specifically Recommendation #2 as described in the Lone Tree Way Chick-fil-A Transportation Impact Analysis Report dated March 6, 2023. The project shall operate two drive-through lanes during any period of high operational demand as needed in order to accommodate the vehicle queues or the drive-through demand.”
That will offer the potential for 30 vehicles to queue on site.
Commissioner Warren Lutz, among others, shared concerns about traffic. But he was the only no vote because the owner of Chick-fil-A donated to causes he didn’t agree with.
According to the meeting minutes, “Commissioner Lutz expressed concern regarding traffic related to Chick Fil A businesses in other cities and how the additional traffic would impact Lone Tree and Highway 4. He questioned who performed the traffic analysis and if there were assurances that it was done correctly.
Director of Community Development Ebbs explained that this project was for Design Review and traffic was a function of the land use. He noted drive through restaurants were allowed by right in this shopping center. He further noted the entrance was far removed from the major arterial, so if traffic problems occurred, it would be within the shopping center. He stated they did not anticipate getting to a point where traffic backed up vehicles moving along Lone Tree Way.
Commissioner Lutz questioned if the other businesses in this shopping center had provided input regarding this use. Director of Community Development Ebbs explained that those complaints would be within the tenant landlord relationship. He noted there were obligations and rights between the tenants. He stated that the hope was that more traffic would create more customers for those businesses.
Commissioner Lutz stated he had no doubt that this project would be approved; however, the owner donated to causes that he did not agree with so he would be voting no. He wished the applicant the best of luck, if approved.”
The commission approved the Design Review for construction of the new restaurant with an amendment to the Queue Management Plan on a 5-1 vote with one member absent.
the attachments to this post:
Drive-Thru Lane 2 Circulation Chick-fil-A Antioch
Drive-Thru Lane 1 Circulation Chick-fil-A Antioch
Drive-Thru Lanes Circulation Chick-fil-A Antioch
Antioch Chick-fil-A rendering
Chick-fil-A location map
