Chick Fil-A Eyes Hyattsville Mall Parking Lot
But some members of Hyattsville's City Council seem reluctant to allow a drive through
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Last night, Hyattsville City Council members got their first gilmpse at a proposal to construct a new Chick-Fil-A restaurant along East West Highway on the parking lot at the Mall at Prince George's.
Chick-Fil-A wants to build the fast-food restaurant with a drive through, which goes against the table of approved uses within the Prince George's Plaza Transit District Overlay Zone which encompasses the area. City and county planners want to redevelop Hyattsville's East-West Highway corridor into a more pedestrian friendly environment.
The restaurant would be located at the far southwestern corner of the mall parking lot, roughly across the road from where East-West Highway intersects with Editors Park Drive. The drive through and the restaurant parking area would only be accessible for cars from the mall parking lot. The store would face East-West Highway, and the drive through would be located behind the store.
Some members of the Hyattsville City Council seemed reluctant to modify the approved uses on the site to allow a drive-through fast food restaurant.
"I don't think a drive through is appropriate for that site," said Councilor Tim Hunt (Ward 3), during the presentation.
Daniel Lynch, attorney with the law firm McNamee and Hosea representing Chick-Fil-A, said the area consumers were expecting a "quick serve component" like a drive through window, and that the fast-food chain would likely not be interested in developing the site if they could not build a drive through.
"Everywhere you go on Route 1, there are drive throughs," bemoaned Councilor Ruth Ann Frazier. "Is this where we are headed on East-West Highway?"
Chick-Fil-A has filed for an amendment to the mall's detailed site plan for approval by the Prince George's County Planning Board. The application is still under review by county planning staff.
The city council will likely consider supporting the application at its next meeting.
Farmer Joe
8:25 am on Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Drive-through restaurants = obesity, traffic congestion, low paying jobs locally/corporate profits elsewhere, generic architecture, asphalt, and are unfriendly to pedestrians. Do we need any more of these things in Hyattsville?
Those zoning ordinances are in place for good reasons.
Jacqueline Scott-English
10:09 am on Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Please, no more drive-through restaurants in Hyattsville and particularly along East-West Highway. I walk and drive along that corridor and the area is just becoming more pedestrian friendly however, drivers are still challenged with stopping for pedestrians crossing at Editors Park Drive. As well, it is difficult for cars to exit left onto East-West Highway at any time of day from Editors Park Drive. Adding yet another, traffic pattern (drive-through fast food restaurant) to an already congested area is unsafe and it's an eyesore.
Adelphi Sky
5:03 pm on Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Ummmm No. This would be the ONLY drive through in the entire PG Metro area. Why now? Why there? This is a bad idea. And we can do better than Chik-Fil-A. Are they too good to locate inside the mall food court? In the not too distant future, I envision the mall to be redeveloped into a city core town center. Adding a drive thru would just make things messier. how about a nice sit-down restaurant?
Danny
3:21 pm on Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Actually, there is a BB&T with drive-thru immediately next door to the Chick-fil-a site; it opened less than 5 years ago. Not even to mention the SunTrust and Capitol One drive-thrus in the mall parking lot. And what about the CVS drive-thru across the street?
Also, as of today, there are no vacancies inside the mall food court.
Famous Dave's, a sit-down restaurant, previously planned to build on this same site but pulled out after being approved by the County.
Jim Groves
11:14 pm on Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Seriously, fast food is the best they can do there? Agree with Farmer Joe, it was zoned differently for a reason.
Jennifer Murphy
7:50 am on Wednesday, March 6, 2013
No. The area is already pedestrian unfriendly enough. We don't need another unhealthy fast food with unhealthy discrimination practices. Chick Fill-a = Obesity, litter and discrimination. Please say no.
Mark G
10:12 am on Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Thanks for mentioning littler, Jennifer Murphy.
I would like to see the fast food restaurants held responsible for the TONS of litter that eminate from their establishments. I'd also like to see the indivual litterers fined but that type of law enforcement seems to be a low priority.
The plastic bag laws have helped in places where enacted. We need something directed at fast food litter,