Vestavia Hills City Council Approves Rezoning For Chick-Fil-A

VESTAVIA HILLS, AL - In the midst of vocal opposition from local residents, the Vestavia Hills City Council this week voted to approve an ordinance that would rezone property in Cahaba Heights for a new Chick-fil-A restaurant.

The Atlanta-based fast food chain sought the zoning change to build a restaurant on Crosshaven Drive to accommodate a drive-thru area, according to a report by Alabama Media Group.

Although Chick-fil-a is one of the most popular fast food restaurants in the country, many Cahaba Heights residents are not in favor of the new restaurant in the neighborhood. Several Cahaba Heights residents objected to the rezoning, most saying it would change the character of the neighborhood and could lead to more commercial businesses sprouting up in the residential area.

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The growth in Cahaba Heights has happened at an astounding pace since the community was annexed by Vestavia Hills in 2002. That growth has been met with mixed reviews by residents of the community.

Steve Manley, the proposal’s landscape architect, noted that planners made changes to the original design to accommodate homeowners’ concerns, including a six-foot privacy fence and planting trees and shrubs every 100 feet on the Wall Street side of the planned Chick-fil-A.