JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The City of Jacksonville Land Use and Zoning Committee is deferring a proposed Chick-fil-A in Oceanway.
After hearing from the developer and concerned neighbors in opposition at Wednesday's LUZ meeting, the committee said it wanted the developer to do a traffic study before it moved any further.
Neighbors have been fighting the development for a year.
The site is in the North Creek Subdivision and across the street from First Coast High School. The developer is already approved to put a single land drive-thru restaurant on the site. But he applied for a rezoning application in order to add Chick-fil-a's double lane drive thru model. It would also make the entrance to the Chick-fil-a on Lady Lake Road, which in inside the subdivision.
"This Chick-fil-A will cause a traffic nuisance," one neighbor said.
"Using our entrance would set a precedent in Jacksonville, Florida to allow an entrance to a subdivision be an entrance to a restaurant," another neighbor said.
Two weeks ago, the city's Planning Department recommended approval, but with two conditions.
One being the completion of a traffic study.
Councilmember Raul Arias wanted to see the traffic study done before a vote on the rezoning.
"We're about to vote on something right now to then have traffic studies, that's backwards," Arias said.
Arias added he wasn't sure the traffic study will help either side.
“Even if it [the study] comes back where you need a traffic light. Logic tells me that it’s going to make matters even worse because now to leave the neighborhood cars are stuck in a que to leave the neighborhood now cause of the traffic light. This is a lose lose situation regardless of what happens," Arias said.
Some neighbors left the meeting saying they were confused by the back and forth of the committee and its ultimate decision to defer the project.
Including Tracy Terry, a neighbor who lives across the street from the proposed site. She ultimately said she left the meeting happy knowing the committee listened to neighbors' concerns.
The next public hearing is set for April 16 where neighbors will only be able to speak on the findings of the traffic study.
But, the committee will be able to talk about the entire project and the concerns they've been hearing from neighbors.
