ASHWAUBENON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Chick-fil-A is looking to make its way into the Green Bay Area.
But, if it’s like we’ve seen at its other locations, the franchise not only brings its food, but long lines and traffic jams too.
While many in the Green Bay Area have watched Chick-fil-A’s open in the Fox Valley, their wish could soon be coming true.
“We recognize it’s very popular. People have been asking for this for quite awhile,” said Aaron Schuette, Village of Ashwaubenon’s Community Development Director.
The proposed location is on the corner of Oneida Street and a Bay Park Mall entrance.
The plans need approval still from Ashwaubenon’s site plan review committee, the State, and Ashwaubenon’s village board.
“All in a few months before shovels are in the ground,” said Schuette.
While the potential site is still just an empty parking lot, traffic concerns are already being addressed. And Schutte tells FOX 11 one of the ways the plan to relieve traffic in the area is by having two drive through lanes.
“We did work with Chick-fil-A and their engineering architecture group to do a traffic impact analysis, to take a look at how it will flow both on Oneida street as well as internally in the mall.”
The study expects heavy traffic during its first few weeks of opening. And as of now, Schutte says Chick-fil-A is planning to operate as drive-thru only because of Covid.
“Most times both lanes will be open while anticipating in the future it will go down one lane with two lanes in after that.”
An Ashwabuenon Village trustee and member of Site Plan Review Committee, Gary Paul, tells FOX 11 traffic concerns mean one thing.
“I’ve got one answer to traffic, if you don’t have traffic you don’t have development. As far as the traffic it’s going to produce, the mall has plenty of area there.”
Schutte says the Village will also work with the Public safety, and Brown County to address any traffic jams.
“It’s something we have to take a look at, understand, accommodate, but we also hope that people who want to go to Chick-fil-A will understand there will be a lot of traffic and can go at off times, all the better.”
Ashwaubenon’s Site Plan Review Committee will be meeting March 16 to discuss and vote on the plans.
