Chick-fil-A has submitted plans to open a restaurant on the corner of Sepulveda and Manchester at the site of the old Grinder Restaurant. The proposal includes sit-down dining both inside and outside and a drive-through. Chick-fil-A submitted their plans to the KHG Architectural Committee for review, and made a formal presentation to the January KHG Board meeting. The developers also presented their plans to the Neighborhood Council of Westchester/Playa (NCWP) Planning and Land Use Committee (PLUC) at their January 21, 2014 meeting.

Feedback from all meetings has included: the limited number of parking spaces for patrons, potential back-up traffic onto Manchester at peak business hours, concerns with left-hand turns from eastbound lanes of Manchester, noise from order boxes, and the lack of a lighting plan.

The developers have responded to many of these concerns. Among other concessions, Chick-fil-A has added off-site parking for staff, moved the pick-up window to allow more cars in line to address the Manchester traffic issue, implemented noise-sensitive ordering boxes to decrease noise, and planned lighting that would not be intrusive to neighboring homes and apartment buildings.

PLUC also requested information on signage and a traffic barrier to prohibit left-hand turns from the east-bound lanes on Manchester. The Chick-fil-A representative also noted that they would remove the trees on Manchester up to Kentwood Ave to assist in the cost of sidewalk repair and planting new trees.

PLUC requested that Chick-fil-A clarify if they would repair the sidewalks on Manchester up to Kentwood Ave or just remove the trees. Chick-fil-A will submit additional information at the next PLUC meeting in February.

-Maria Warner, Architectural Committee