TOWN OF SPRINGFIELD (Union) — Officials in Springfield, Massachusetts decided against allowing a Chick-Fil-A to open in the building that has housed a Barnes & Noble for decades, thus, for the time being, there will be no new Chick-Fil-A along Route 22.
According to TapInto’s reporting, the Township Zoning Board approved the fast food outlet application with a unanimous vote on Wednesday night.
After announcing its closure earlier this year, the bookstore is open for business throughout the holiday season, as confirmed by a staff member via phone on Thursday.
It’s just been open since 2013 although the Chick-Fil-A on Route 22 in Union Township is only two miles away to the east.
According to the same report, proposals to establish a new Chick-Fil-A on the same, westbound side of the highway were originally made a year ago in Springfield. This was in part to accommodate the “customer overflow” that Union has constantly seen.
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For what reasons did critics of Chick-fil-proposal A raise their voices?
As the commercial property is located between Route 22 and Hillside Avenue, locals were quick to express their concerns about increased traffic and the potential negative effects on the quality of life that a successful restaurant would have.
According to tap into, the same issues of traffic and quality of life were discussed at subsequent sessions in April and October.
Social justice issues were raised regarding another Chick-Fil-A location further north this year, but not in Springfield.
Bloomfield’s Garden State Parkway service area recently welcomed the restaurant business, drawing criticism from two local officials who termed the news “extremely disheartening” due to the chain’s history of funding anti-LGBTQ groups.
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Bloomfield Mayor Michael Venezia was reported by NJ.com in January saying, “Chick-fil-A has a long, documented history of opposing same-sex marriage and supporting anti-LGBTQ legislators and organizations.”
Please rethink your decision to have this restaurant serve the New Jersey Turnpike Authority and select one that is more consistent with our beliefs.
When the proposed Bloomfield rest stop was met with criticism, a petition was established online and eventually received almost 2,000 signatures.
These plans have not changed, although the service area was temporarily closed in August to undergo a complete renovation.
Despite the controversy surrounding the family-run business’s insistence on adhering to what it calls “Biblical principles,” Chick-Fil-A has opened 57 restaurants throughout the state since last November.
