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Photo by Sam Chandler
Cahaba Heights Chick-fil-A
The Vestavia Hills Planning and Zoning Commission voted to recommend the city council rezone land for a Chick-fil-A on Crosshaven Drive in Cahaba Heights. The old Rite Aid Pharmacy is in the far right background.
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Photo by Sam Chandler
Vestavia Hills Planning and Zoning Commission
Many Cahaba Heights residents attended Thursday's Vestavia Hills Planning and Zoning Commission meeting to express their concerns about bringing a Chick-fil-A to their neighborhood.
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Rendering courtesy of Vestavia Hills
Cahaba Heights Chick-fil-A
A rendering of the proposed Chick-fil-A on Crosshaven Drive in Cahaba Heights.
Chicken sandwiches and waffle fries soon could be within walking distance for Cahaba Heights residents, but some don't seem too happy about it.
On Thursday night, the Vestavia Hills Planning and Zoning Commission voted to recommend the City Council rezone three land parcels on Crosshaven Drive and Wall Street from residential to commercial to make way for a Chick-fil-A restaurant.
Chick-fil-A wants to build a new location at 3949 Crosshaven Drive, next to Zaxby’s and the shuttered Rite Aid Pharmacy. To do so, the company needs to bundle the three residential parcels at 3955 and 3959 Wall St. and 3945 Crosshaven Drive with two adjacent properties — 3949 and 3953 Crosshaven Drive — that already are zoned B-2 commercial.
The planning commission gave a thumbs up to that idea despite opposition from many Cahaba Heights residents who attended Thursday night's meeting.
Increased neighborhood traffic, light pollution and noise pollution topped their list of grievances during a 94-minute discussion about the Chick-fil-A.
“This is a big issue for a lot of people,” said Jack Kubiszyn, an attorney representing the Westminster Homeowners Association. “The traffic and congestion caused by the traffic will be detrimental to the Cahaba Heights area.”
Crosshaven Drive is only a two-lane road. Although plans to expand it have been in place for many years, they have never materialized.
Kubiszyn said adding a Chick-fil-A would only exacerbate existing traffic issues.
“You’re making a bad situation worse,” he said.
Jim Meads, a traffic engineer with Sain Associates representing Chick-fil-A, tried to quell those concerns. He said he has held many meetings with officials from Vestavia Hills and Jefferson County about reviving the Crosshaven Drive expansion plans.
Vestavia Hills City Engineer Christopher Brady corroborated the claim. He said the city is aiming to start roadwork in the summer and the county is aiming to start roadwork in 2020, pending budget approval.
To build in Cahaba Heights, Chick-fil-A would have to expand the section of Crosshaven Drive in front of its restaurant and install a left-turn lane. No timeline has been finalized.
“We want to be here as soon as possible,” said Jason Pociask, a development manager for Chick-fil-A. “But we want to be here as soon as possible in the right manner.”
The decision now moves to the Vestavia Hills City Council at one of its February meetings.
