JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A widely contested Chick-fil-A restaurant will be moving in after Jacksonville City Council voted Tuesday to pass the rezoning of the property in an Oceanway neighborhood.
The vote came one week after the Land Use and Zoning Committee voted to pass the rezoning.
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Members voted 12 to 7 for the proposed Chick-fil-A to be built in front of the North Creek subdivision across from First Coast High School. It will also use the subdivision’s front entrance as an entryway.
The city required Chick-fil-A to conduct a traffic study analysis of the area as a condition of the rezoning.
The final traffic study said more than 1,000 trips generated by a Chick-fil-A would have a nominal impact. It also recommended adding a traffic light at the intersection of Bradley Cove Road and Duval Station Road and a right-turn lane on Lady Lake Road.
After months of fighting and rescheduled meetings wrapped in confusion, residents have consistently voiced their concerns about increased traffic, student safety and property values being affected if the unwanted restaurant was to open.
They expressed their disappointment in the Land Use and Zoning Committee’s approval at last week’s meeting.
City Councilman Reggie Gaffney Jr. called the vote “heartbreaking” because the residents felt their concerns weren’t heard.
He was one of the seven who voted against the approval.
“I think we’re doing the community a disservice if we allow Chick-fil-A to go through North Creek,” Gaffney said after Tuesday’s vote. “Chick-fil-A which I thought, hate to say this, was the epitome of customer service, hasn’t really worked with the community. It’s been disheartening at times.”
It’s unclear how soon construction will begin.