Chick-fil-A Seeks Approval for Route 206 Location in Hillsborough Amid Traffic Worries

Last week, the Hillsborough Board of Adjustment listened to professionals speak about Chick-fil-A’s plan. The company wants to demolish an Exxon gas station at 296 Route 206. In its place? A 5,400-square-foot restaurant.

Traffic worries took center stage as board members pressed witnesses on how drive-thru lanes might affect the intersection at Route 206 and Triangle Road. Would cars spill onto the highway during rush hour?

Chick-fil-A’s design calls for two full-length drive-thru lanes equipped with meal order canopies and delivery stations. The property would feature 71 parking spaces. Two spots are reserved for electric vehicles. Hours of operation would be from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday through Saturday. Deliveries and trash pickup would happen overnight.

“This is a significant investment in Hillsborough. It’s one that will transform this corner into an attractive, well-designed commercial use that is entirely consistent with this Route 206 corridor,” said Duncan Prime of the firm Prime, Tuvel & Micelli, who is representing the company, according to Patch.com.

What if cars back up onto the highway when business peaks? Vincent Kelly of Colliers Engineering dismissed this as “a very unlikely scenario.” Team members would use parking cones to block off the entrance, Kelly explained. A flagger would direct drivers if needed.

The two drive-thru lanes can accommodate between 52 to 56 cars, Kelly testified. He called the possibility of the drive-thru lane backing up “a highly, highly, highly unlikely scenario.”

One board member voiced a different worry. Drivers might cut through the parking lot to skip the traffic light. “I have a larger concern with people trying to jump around and turn on Triangle and getting back into traffic on 206, to try to make that right,” the board member said.

A proposed 50-foot flagpole sparked debate. The company wants to install it at the southeast corner near Triangle Road. Current rules allow an 18-foot-tall flag. “I have a big problem with a 50-foot flagpole. It makes it look like a car dealership,” said a board member.

Kelly defended the request. The chain hires many veterans and wants to “show patriotism, and that’s really what it boils down to.” Prime later offered a compromise: reducing the flagpole to 30 feet.

The hearing continues on March 4. A traffic engineer will testify about drive-thru concerns then. A professional planner will also present testimony at the next meeting. The property does not currently permit restaurants with drive-thru facilities.

The post Chick-fil-A Seeks Approval for Route 206 Location in Hillsborough Amid Traffic Worries appeared first on WMTR AM.