Charlotte leaders must not sell out again over 2 fast food drive-thrus

In January the Charlotte City Council voted to grant Chick-fil-A a zoning variance that would allow the restaurant to operate a drive-thru in a transit-oriented zone. In attempting to hold up our image of being a “deal-making city,” we sold out our vision of being a city that prioritizes pedestrians and transit riders just so we could have the pleasure of sitting in a long line that clogs our streets with pollution, traffic and car crashes — all for a chicken sandwich.

When I first heard the news, I was furious.

As a former manager of a Chick-fil-A in east Charlotte, I knew firsthand that the business routinely does well in dense urban areas without forcing in a drive-thru. Chick-fil-A restaurants in SouthPark Mall and Atrium Health do extremely well serving only foot traffic.

I also knew that Chick-fil-A induces a high volume of traffic due to its heavy focus on drive-thru service. This carries with it a significant cost: In less than two years of working there, I witnessed no fewer than 15 car crashes, and our traffic lines would routinely wrap around the building and block surrounding roadways.

I, myself, was almost hit three times using the crosswalk near my business, sometimes by guests we had just served. I didn’t want this to be the norm for our city, so I spoke out against the ruling and was fired when my store’s operator read of my disapproval.

I’m not upset that Chick-fil-A fired me, but I am upset that we are discussing this issue yet again.

We now stand at a precipice of action, this time with a proposed rezoning on Wendover Road in Grier Heights. Chick-fil-A and Starbucks are attempting to open two drive-thru-only locations in a fairly dense area. The Wendover Road site has multiple bus stops, good sidewalk coverage, and many apartment units just across the street. Introducing a congested drive-thru would actively harm the people who live in this area.

Charlotte City Council has the chance to correct the record on where they stand going forward on this issue. If they vote in favor of the zoning variance, not only will they have ignored my own account, but also the guidance of their own zoning committee.

This is especially important since the previous signals the city has sent to other businesses is that Charlotte is a “deal-maker” of a city. But oftentimes, these deals come at the expense of both our city and our goals. We make concessions too often, when the reality is that we are a city that is already attractive to businesses and investors.

We cannot make progress if we continue to repeatedly sell-out our vision. We cannot be a city where people want to stay if we continually signal to citizens that we are not thinking of them beyond the next two years. And, we cannot even remotely claim that our civic leaders are well-informed if they routinely ignore the advice and counsel of multiple organizations and civil servants who work for the city.

So as the Aug. 15 decision on the two Wendover Road drive-thrus looms, I ask our civic leaders: Will you continue to make the same mistakes of the past and signal to future businesses that we are willing to cede our future? Or, will you make the right decision and hold true to the promise you made to Charlotteans? I risked my job and paid the consequences — I only ask that you do the same.

John E. Holmes III lives in Charlotte.