SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KNX) — The city of Santa Barbara is considering declaring its single Chick-fil-A drive-through location a public nuisance.
City officials said they have received many complaints over the last several years about cars backed up onto State Street as they wait for the drive-through — causing traffic issues, including car crashes and danger to cyclists.
“State Street is one of the city’s most important streets for moving people and goods,” Santa Barbara City Transportation Engineer Derrick Bailey told The Santa Barbara Press News earlier this month. “It was never intended to operate with significant blockage.”
A report conducted by the Santa Barbara Public Works Department showed that cars lined up for Chick-fil-A can block one lane on State Street for up to 91 minutes on weekdays, and 155 minutes on weekends.
“They are so successful, they have outgrown their site,” Santa Barbara City Councilmember Kristen Sneddon told the Press News. “It’s possible they were oversized for that site to begin with.”
“On behalf of myself, Chick-fil-A, and the many team members, we sincerely regret that this traffic situation has come to his point and heartily wish to work in good faith with the city to resolve this matter once and for all,” Chick-fil-A franchise owner Travis Collins told the Press News.
The council has postponed the nuisance designation and granted the restaurant chain until June 7 to identify solutions to traffic problems caused by its State Street drive-through. However, should the city proceed to declare the site a public nuisance after June 7, Chick-fil-A could lose its drive-through license for the property.
One solution to the congestion may be opening a second Chick-fil-A location in Santa Barbara County. The company is in the early stages of applying for a permit to open that new location in an unincorporated part of the county, about two miles from the State Street restaurant.
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