A neighbor told me last night that the Chick-fil-A signage was installed so I took a quick picture today from the 3rd Street side. It is a little hard to tell from the picture, but there is bit of landscaping installed behind the construction fencing.
The new Chick-fil-A under construction at the corner of 3rd Street and Riggs Road NE is anticipated to open in March 2022. Representatives shared an update with the leadership of the Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association in late November:
After the new year closer to the opening date, representatives will attend a meeting to provide more information about operations (such as operating hours and hiring) and to answer questions from residents.
Demolition of the former KFC/Taco Bell on the corner of 3rd Street and Riggs Road NE is underway. Chick-fil-A soon come.
The end of an era. The KFC/Taco Bell located at 220 Riggs Road NE across from the Walmart has permanently closed. A new Chick-fil-A will replace the restaurant, a topic covered in several posts on the blog. The developer is still awaiting permits.
On June 25, 2020, the District Department of Transportation’s Public Space Committee approved by a vote of 4-0-1 Chick-fil-A’s application to close two curb cuts for its planned new restaurant at 220 Riggs Road NE. Recall Chick-fil-A plans to tear down the KFC/Taco Bell located at the corner of 3rd Street NE and Riggs Road NE along with the former Dakota Liquors building next door and build a new 3,900 square foot Chick-fil-A restaurant with 42 interior seats and outdoor seating. Chick-fil-A wants to close two curb cuts on 3rd Street, including the curb cut closest to the 3rd Street/Riggs Road intersection, as well as one of the curb cuts by the Dakota Liquors building. It will retain a curb cut on 3rd Street and reconfigure the curb cut on Riggs Road. I wrote about Chick-fil-A’s traffic study in this post.
The Public Space Committee voted to approve the application with conditions. DDOT noted that the traffic study indicated adequate space for queueing on site except for Saturday afternoons. The agency stated it was satisfied with the proposed overflow queue lane. The agency requested that Chick-fil-A observe and collect data on movement and ingress and egress around the site for three months after the restaurant opens, particularly with respect to U-turns on 3rd Street near Walmart’s driveway. Before obtaining its permits, Chick-fil-A will need to collect a bond in order to ensure payment for any traffic mitigation measures, such as adjustments to the median on 3rd Street, signage, and striping. In addition, Chick-fil-A will have to work with DDOT’s Urban Forestry division on tree protection and to determine the best placement for new street trees around the site. Chick-fil-A agreed to these conditions.
ANC 4B supported the application. The ANC has also requested removal of one parking space near Walmart’s driveway along with installation of flexiposts to prevent future illegal parking in order to improve sightlines and traffic circulation.
It will be helpful to see how traffic circulates when the restaurant opens. Removal of a parking space will also be helpful. But I still think additional improvements are necessary and maybe it would make sense to wait until the restaurant opens. As already noted, there will be a lot of U-turns around the area. The immediate area would benefit from improved sidewalks and marked crosswalks. The 2nd Street/3rd Street intersection needs to be adjusted. Though Chick-fil-A stated that DDOT indicated the 2nd Street/3rd Street intersection is too far from the restaurant to have an impact on traffic circulation, that intersection still needs to be addressed. Some people will eventually figure out that it might be easier to travel down 3rd Street from Chillum Place to the restaurant rather than trying to make a U-turn into the site. The intersection at Riggs Road and South Dakota Avenue, reconfigured in 2011, needs to be reconfigured again because it is poorly designed.
In any case, approval of the public space permit application gets the neighborhood one step closer to having a Chick-fil-A.
Chick-fil-A (CFA) presented its preliminary traffic analysis at ANC 4B’s public meeting on February 24, 2020. You can find the presentation here and the draft comprehensive transportation review (CTR) here.
As previously reported, Chick-fil-A plans to demolish the existing Taco Bell/KFC building located at 220 Riggs Road NE and the vacant Dakota Liquor building next door and build a new building. Because this will be a new build, they must comply with the District’s Green Area Ratio regulation. Accordingly, they plan to have bioretention on site.
They scrapped their plan to have only drive-thru at the location. The new plan is for a 3,900 square foot building with 42 interior seats and 20 exterior seats. There will be 9 vehicle parking spaces and 6 bicycle spaces. There will be a dual drive-thru lane for ordering. They anticipate having space for 10 vehicles to queue in the drive-thru order lanes (5 vehicles per lane), space for 9 vehicles to queue for the payment and pickup window, and space for approximately 6 vehicles to circulate and queue on site if the drive-thru lanes are full. Commercial deliveries will be made outside of business hours.
The project is a matter-of-right project, but they will have to go through DDOT’s public space permit process because they plan to eliminate two curb cuts–the curb cut closest to the 3rd Street/Riggs Road intersection and one of the two curb cuts by Dakota Liquor. That will leave one curb cut on Riggs Road, which they will realign, and one curb cut on 3rd Street.
Site access and circulation
Turning to the details of the CTR, they anticipate that most drivers will approach the site from either South Dakota Avenue or Riggs Road. The biggest issue I see in the CTR is that CFA and DDOT know that for inbound trips, drivers will be making U-turns all over the place and apparently DDOT is fine with that.
Drivers approaching from South Dakota Avenue will either decide to turn left on Riggs to enter the access point there or continue straight onto 3rd Street only to have to make a U-turn because of the median on 3rd Street to access the site from 3rd Street. DDOT does not want to remove the median. Drivers traveling eastbound on Riggs will either make a U-turn to access the site off Riggs or turn left onto 3rd Street to then have to make a U-turn to access the site from 3rd Street. Drivers traveling west on Riggs would be able to access the site from Riggs without making a U-turn. CFA stated DDOT anticipates only 5% of vehicles will approach the site from the 3rd Street/2nd Street NE intersection, which would require no U-turns at all.
The CTR states the site will be able to accommodate all queueing on the site without spillover onto public streets. In the case that there is spillover, they plan to have additional staff to assist with order taking, delivering orders, and directing vehicles to move to the overflow queue lane.
They used data from a CFA location in Olney to support the assumptions in the traffic analysis. The CTR identified afternoon peak and Saturday peak as two periods in which vehicular travel around the site at the South Dakota Avenue/Riggs Road intersection could be impacted. The CTR states adjustment to traffic signal timing should mitigate the issue a bit. They are aware that other projects will come online in the next couple of years that will affect travel around the site, including the second phase of Art Place at Fort Totten and EYA’s Riggs Park Place townhome project. Also, the owner of the properties at 5642-5650 3rd Street NE has applied for a map amendment, so those properties will be redeveloped as well (though the owner has previously stated he has not identified an intended use yet). Once built out, more signal timing changes may be necessary.
I asked about the 3rd Street/2nd Street intersection because I did not see any reference to it in the presentation. Because of the assumption that only 5% of vehicles will approach the site from that intersection, I guess DDOT will not worry about it even though something clearly needs to be done about that intersection. Plenty of motorists use 3rd Street to avoid Riggs and so while they might not be going to CFA, there will be plenty of action happening between vehicles exiting the Walmart parking lot, vehicles making a U-turn on 3rd Street to enter the CFA, and vehicles traveling along 3rd to other destinations.
Interestingly, in the CTR, CFA identified three intersections that have higher than expected crash rates and anyone who lives in the neighborhood would not be surprised by the results: (1) South Dakota Avenue & Riggs Road/3rd Street; (2) Riggs Road and 1st Place NE; and (3) 3rd Street/2nd Street NE.
Chick-fil-A’s recommendations
CFA identified several recommended safety improvements primarily to address the South Dakota Avenue/Riggs Road intersection. DDOT does not have to undertake these improvements, but doing so would help to improve travel around the site. They include restriping, removal of two parking spaces next to the Walmart driveway on 3rd Street to improve sightlines, enforcement of no parking zones near intersection, better signage, and adjustments to signal timing.
The South Dakota Avenue/Riggs Road intersection was reconfigured in 2011 to remove the slip lanes. Even reconfigured, it is poorly designed and really does need to be fixed. The one good thing that may come out of the CFA project is that residents have previously requested a traffic study of the corridor (which has not been done). Many of CFA’s recommended safety improvements are things that residents have requested for a long time so now that a business is recommending these safety improvements, maybe they will get done. Notably the CTR identifies that existing pedestrian facilities around the site are sorely lacking, again something for which residents have previously requested action. Perhaps those missing and deficient sidewalks and missing crosswalks will be addressed.
After looking at the traffic analysis, I am a bit skeptical about how all of this will work. Of course my big wish to get rid of the drive-thru entirely is likely not an option. This project is still about a year out so there is still time for CFA to make refinements. The project is located in ANC 4B, so if you have any thoughts, please share them with ANC Commissioner Alison Brooks (4B08) at 4B08@anc.dc.gov.
Here is a new year roundup with the status of a few neighborhood development projects to the best of my knowledge.
1. Art Place at Fort Totten
I have received a lot of questions about Art Place at Fort Totten, particularly regarding the first phase, which was completed in late 2017 at South Dakota Avenue NE between Galloway and Ingraham. Ramdass Pharmacy and Shining Stars Pediatric Dentistry have been open for a while now. Here is what we know or have been told so far about the rest of the retail spaces. The gym (24 Hour Fitness) and daycare (Love & Care Child Development Center) are under construction with completion anticipated the end of June this year. No word on when the urgent care center might open. A number of other retail spaces are under negotiation, but the developer is not prepared to share information at this stage about what those retailers might be. If you have specific retailers that you either have a connection to or want the developer to reach out to, please let the developer know (seriously).
As for the second phase, which will be located on South Dakota Avenue between Ingraham and Kennedy, as we know, it will be anchored by Meow Wolf, and will have an Aldi grocery store, Explore! Children’s Museum, food hall, maker spaces, around 270 rental units, and ground floor retail. Meow Wolf held community meetings last year and will continue its community outreach this year. The DC Council held a first vote on the closure of 4th Street NE between Ingraham and Kennedy on January 7, 2020, for this phase of the project. Construction is anticipated to begin first quarter of this year, but considering the DC Zoning Commission has not yet entered an order for this phase, it is unclear when we will start to see construction on the site.
2. Fort Totten South
What we have known as the Fort Totten South project, or the second phase of Fort Totten Square planned for the southeast corner of South Dakota Avenue and Riggs Road NE, should finally be breaking ground this year. The “Coming Soon” sign and webpage for what they are now calling “Riggs Park Place” are up. This is the project that started out as mixed use rental apartments above retail that changed to a back-to-back townhome project with ground level retail that then changed to traditional townhome units with retail. As of June 2019, the project changed again to traditional townhomes with rental apartment units for seniors above ground floor retail. Look for activity likely around spring of this year.
3. Rocketship Charter School
Interior renovation of the warehouses at 5450 Kennedy Street NE is ongoing for Rocketship Charter School. In addition to elementary instruction provided by Rocketship, AppleTree Learning Center will provide pre-kindergarten instruction, and the Social Justice School will provide middle school instruction. The campus is scheduled to open in fall 2020
4. Chick-fil-A
Stay tuned for more details about the Chick-fil-A planned to replace the KFC/Taco Bell on the corner of 3rd Street and Riggs Road NE. We have it on good authority that Chick-fil-A now plans to have interior seating. They are working on revised plans and hopefully will have those ready along with their traffic study in time for ANC 4B’s February meeting.
5. Lamond-Riggs Library
The design team is finalizing the design for the new Lamond-Riggs Library. An interim library will be housed at the Modern at Art Place on Ingraham Street NE. Given the regulatory and permitting processes required, DC Public Library officials cannot say exactly when the existing library will close, but they anticipate closing the existing library mid-year 2020 with the interim library opening a few weeks afterwards. View the planned design on the project website at https://www.dclibrary.org/newlamondriggs.
6. Metropolitan Branch Trail (MBT)
Projected completion of the MBT extension to Fort Totten has been pushed back to September 2020 due to project delays.
Residents will likely get updates on these projects from ANC 4B and ANC 5A as the year progresses, so be sure you are signed up for email notification for your ANC.
By David Kosub (Contributor)
Many words have already been written about the forthcoming Chick-fil-A development at the current site of the KFC-Taco Bell at Riggs Road NE and 3rd Street NE (see here, here, here, here, and this entertaining Next Door rant here). Well, I had some more after reading the District of Columbia’s proposed Comprehensive Plan, currently open for public comment. As the Chick-fil-A development is expected to be discussed at the January ANC 4B meeting, I would like to provide a few more thoughts for consideration related to the visual character and environmental impact of this project in our neighborhood.
As I previously wrote about, the 2009 Small Area Development Plan for the South Dakota Avenue NE and Riggs Road NE corridor refers to the existing KFC-Taco Bell as an “opportunity site” for future development. Opportunities exist, as the plan notes, to have future development set back from the street allowing for a visually strong corner to be created with aesthetically unified, pedestrian-friendly, street-facing retail. Furthermore, as the plan goes on to say, future development should consider accommodating aesthetic “landmark elements,” such as public art, open space, and vegetation, to “truly create a sense of place and assist with reestablishing the intersection as the heart of the neighborhood.”
To fully be the “heart of the neighborhood,” this intersection must be considered for streetscape improvements. Any future development should recognize this too. Similar to what is touted in Policy UNE-1.2.1 of the Upper Northeast Element of the Comprehensive Plan, such streetscape enhancements would make this intersection more visually appealing, professionally landscaped, pedestrian friendly, clean, safe with appropriate lighting, harmonious and respectful of existing structures, as well as convey a sense of local charm and culture. This goes for buildings and amenities that currently exist, together with those that are being planned for future development.
The aesthetics of the property must flow and connect with adjacent public assets, such as the triangle park on the southwest corner of the intersection, and future planned developments, such as the EYA project on the southeast corner. Wherever possible, native plants, shrubs, trees, and other vegetation should be installed to help address environmental objectives established by the District, such as mitigating storm water run-off, water and air quality improvement, and habitat restoration (Policy UNE-1.2.8), which also has the added benefit of beautifying our surroundings. Undergrounding power lines would also serve to enhance the visual character too. Any outside seating areas affiliated with the restaurant should be inviting, buffered from street noise, and a welcoming place to eat and socialize. Finally, the developers and operators of the facility should work with the South Dakota Avenue Clean Team to ensure this site remains clean as well as free from graffiti and other urban detritus.
The Comprehensive Plan also recognizes the value of green and open spaces in our city. For instance, in Chapter 8 focused on Parks, Recreation, and Open Space (PROS), it notes “the need for parks may be more critical in some areas of the city due to…denser development patterns without the aesthetic amenities afforded by open space.” Though I understand the developers are not looking to create a new park at this site, the need for green and open space still exists and can be addressed with their project.
In Policy PROS-1.4.3, for example, green space could “enhance the connectivity of parks and open spaces throughout the city [and could] be an important planning and design consideration, particularly where multiple large adjacent sites are being redeveloped,” such as in our neighborhood. The plan goes on to say that “small pocket parks, plazas, and other open spaces should be created [in employment growth areas[ to provide visual relief and space for outdoor seating” (Policy PROS-1.4.6). If indeed the new Chick-fil-A will have a walk-up order option for pedestrians, then perhaps it could be encouraged to develop “outdoor plazas…for public benefit and to encourage tree planting, public art, sculpture, seating areas, and other amenities” (Policy PROS-4.3.2). The District government may even provide “incentives for new…buildings to include green roofs,” rain gardens, landscaped open areas, and other common open space areas that provide visual relief and aesthetic balance” (Policy PROS-4.3.3).
Improving the visual character of this site aligns with the overarching goal of the Urban Design (UD) element of the Comprehensive Plan. This element aims to “enhance the beauty and livability of the city by…reinforcing the identity of its neighborhoods, harmoniously integrating new construction with existing buildings and the natural environment, and improving the vitality, appearance, and security of streets and public spaces” (Urban Design Goal 901). South Dakota Avenue NE, where the new restaurant will look out upon, could be an opportunity for the developers to help “reinforce the form and identity of the city, connect its neighborhoods, and improve its aesthetic and visual character” (Policy UD-1.4.1), with particular priority on higher design standards and a positive image. Such higher standards would contribute to activating this commercial area, “create visual interest through well-designed building facades, storefront windows, and attractive signage and lighting” (Policy UD-2.2.5). Finally, the plan does recommend requiring “streetscape improvements by the private sector in conjunction with development or renovation of adjacent properties” (Policy UD-3.1.11).
To further enhance the visual character of this site, I encourage the developers to partner with the community wherever possible to help provide needed resources to reactivate the triangle park on the southwest corner of the intersection. Private financial support [could help[ the District’s park and recreational facilities” (Policy PROS-2.2.6), such as through public-private partnerships for recreational purposes (Policy PROS-2.2.7). I recognize this is a by-right project replacing one fast food restaurant with another, so something like a community benefits agreement is unlikely, but having Chick-fil-A provide resources to improve the green space nearby would benefit all involved. Moreover, as noted in Policy UD-3.1.8, such public spaces could be activated through “the design of adjacent structures; for example, through the location of shop entrances, window displays, awnings, and outdoor dining areas,” which is also important for the developers to consider.
Paraphrasing the Comprehensive Plan one final time, open and green space provide many benefits to the form and flow of a neighborhood. A balance between development and open space is critical for our neighborhood to continue thriving, the psychological wellbeing of current and future residents, and the aesthetic qualities of the city. If you plan to attend the January ANC 4B meeting and/or reach out to your ANC Commissioner about this project, I appreciate your support to ensure this project, and any others in our neighborhood, consider these important green, environmental visual enhancements to neighborhood development as well.
I finally got my hands on renderings for the Chick-fil-A planned to replace the KFC/Taco Bell at 220 Riggs Road NE, courtesy of ANC Commissioner Alison Brooks (4B08). Also, a neighbor sent me a Reuters article entitled, “U.S. restaurants remove dining rooms to speed off-site food frenzy.” It describes the use of so-called “dark kitchens” and the real estate and labor cost savings that result from providing service only via drive-thru or pickup windows for mobile orders:
The newest Chopt Creative Salad Co location, which opened Tuesday in New York, is unlike any of the chain’s other 61 sites. It has no cash registers or tables for customers.
Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A Inc has similar sites in Nashville and Louisville, where customers order and prepay online with the option for delivery or pickup.
Chick-fil-A is also trying something different, opening three pilot “delivery kitchens” this year – in Chicago, Los Angeles and near San Francisco. The latter is run by delivery platform DoorDash Inc.
At those sites, the chicken chain shares kitchens with other restaurants to prepare food for delivery only.
Off-premise digital orders are a major growth area for fast-food and fast-casual chains. More are turning to these so-called dark, virtual or ghost kitchens, which can also save labor and real estate costs.
“U.S. restaurants remove dining rooms to speed off-site food frenzy” by Hilary Russ, available at https://www.reuters.com/article/us-fastfood-kitchens-idUSKBN1XP1A1
Unclear if that is what is going on for the location planned for this neighborhood, which will be drive-thru only with a walk-up window. But as I mentioned before, 2,600 square feet is more than enough space to have interior seating, so surely the decision not to include interior seating is a business cost decision, not one based on “room.” And if that space is not being used for interior seating, then what is it being used for. Plenty of businesses have figured out how to streamline mobile order and pickup while also providing standard in-person ordering and dining. This is a by-right project, but ANC 4B should find out exactly what Chick-fil-A is planning for this location.
Edit: Media also report on Chick-fil-A’s recent change in charitable donation priorities.
Blog contributor David Kosub did a nice job of explaining why swapping fast-food for fast-food at a major intersection in the neighborhood represents not much of an opportunity in this post. Here are my thoughts on Chick-fil-A that I originally started composing as a way too long comment to his post.
1. Make community engagement useful. Chick-fil-A representatives are scheduled to attend ANC 4B’s meeting on November 25. I hope they bring at least a basic one-pager/fact sheet with an overview of the project, the process, timeline for when certain steps of the process will take place, construction plans, and answers to questions already asked by residents that can be posted on 4B’s website so that everyone is on the same page. This is basic community engagement and even though this is a by-right project, Chick-fil-A should want to be a good neighbor and there should still be a basic level of engagement.
2. Make the public space permit process useful. We have been told that the only public comment process required for this project is DDOT’s public space permit process. ANC 4B will have an opportunity to comment on Chick-fil-A’s application once that is submitted. I really hope DDOT and the development team have some fantastic ideas about how to manage accessing this corner location. As David mentioned in his post, I do think there is also an opportunity to make this space as attractive as possible for that corner, especially if Chick-fil-A is going to be leasing this space for many years. The existing KFC building is not an eyesore to me, but if the Chick-fil-A team is going to knock down two buildings (one of which is an eyesore) and put up an entirely new one, might as well make this corner as visually appealing as possible. For example, they could do a lot with native landscaping to deal with stormwater runoff. How they design the outdoor seating and the exterior of the building, having adequate trash receptacles, placement and containment of their dumpster, all those are things that I hope they are prepared to address. And I do hope The Parks Main Street will present some ideas to Chick-fil-A for this part of the process.
3. Provide traffic mitigation measures. At the Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association (LRCA) meeting on November 4, the Chick-Fil-A representatives noted that there will be a dual lane for ordering, which they say will allow the location to accommodate more cars on the lot and minimize the number of cars in the street. But I am guessing there will still be lots of cars idling in the street. We know that Chick-fil-A is just very popular and people are completely willing to wait in long drive-thru lines for their food (no judgment, just fact). A traffic study still needs to be done, but I would like to know what other mitigation measures they will take, such as utilizing traffic control officers if that becomes necessary or staff to walk the lines to speed up the order process.
4. Have interior seating. They could not answer the question of how much of the buildable lot (the KFC plus the former Dakota Liquor building next door) they are using for the building itself. As noted, the new building will be approximately 2,600 square feet, which is a fairly decent size for an operation that is not planned to have interior seating. I am not sure how big the current KFC is, but I am really curious about why they say there is no room for interior seating. For comparison the Five Guys at Fort Totten Square, which does have interior seating, is roughly 2,200 square feet. I suspect the decision has more to do with staffing decisions and construction and business financing than “room,” but that is just speculation on my part. I do think having a little bit of interior seating would be better and make this a more walkable location, especially if they really do keep the number of parking spaces minimal at nine or less. I am curious how many public restrooms there will be. To me, what would be even better is if they built a location like the one in downtown Silver Spring. Of course I have to acknowledge that there are large parking garages in downtown Silver Spring for people to park, which we do not have in this neighborhood. And of course they are attracted to this location precisely because it already has a drive-thru so they do not have to jump through hoops to put one in. Still, parking and interior seating do not have to go hand-in-hand and this location should have interior seating.
5. Support the community and support local. The Chick-fil-A representatives are likely aware of the reputation of its owners, who support anti-LGBTQ causes. The representatives made a point of noting that while Chick-fil-A corporate is responsible for leasing, purchasing equipment, and building out each restaurant, each Chick-fil-A has its own operator who is responsible for hiring and who decides what kinds of groups to support. This distinction between the corporate owner and the franchise operator is a point that has been made before in response to protest. This distinction of course might not matter to some, but if Chick-fil-A does get this location off the ground, people should not be shy in recommending how this location can support community groups.
6. This could be a good opportunity for the neighborhood, maybe. Objectively speaking, Chick-fil-A is probably a higher quality fast food restaurant than KFC/Taco Bell (don’t @ me). When you look at the Vibrant Retail Streets Initiative that was done for this neigborhood in 2015, Streetsense and DC’s Office of Planning stated that for a neighborhood like this one with a few long-term businesses and an untested retail market with a slew of new development on the way, the goal should be to continually seek to upgrade retail options to get to the retail that we really desire (see Part I: Market Analysis; Part II: Retail Attraction; Part III: Start at Step One). For example, a Subway may become a Panera Bread (just an example for the Subway lovers out there). So from that perspective, having a Chick-fil-A replace a KFC/Taco Bell would be moving in the direction of “better” for the neighborhood, especially if the Chick-fil-A has interior seating, and might be a good way of proving the market for more desirable retailers.
That said, as an aside, I am a little curious what other retailers, particularly food and beverage retailers, have approached or been approached by this particular property owner (and others in the neighborhood). I know that this is not the first time Chick-fil-A has shown interest in this particular location, so when I hear things like XYZ retailer is not interested in the neighborhood or the other myriad excuses for not having a sit-down restaurant, I do suspect something else is going on, like seeking a lease rate that is kind of ridiculous. I believe The Parks Main Street is working on a strategy for retail attraction so that it is not done haphazardly and residents do not feel like things are just being dropped on the neighborhood with no regard to impact because they are by-right projects (like a 117,000 square Walmart or a planned Chick-fil-A drive-thru with no interior seating at a major intersection).
These are just my thoughts on how we can help the ANC help us try to maximize what little opportunity may exist as we go through this process. I do hope people will provide constructive feedback to ANC 4B as we move forward.
By David Kosub (Contributor)
At the November Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association (LRCA) meeting and as we first read about here, we learned that Chick-fil-A will likely be replacing the KFC-Taco Bell at the corner of 3rd Street NE and Riggs Road NE. The 23-minute audio from the meeting is available here (apologies for the poor sound quality).
Representatives from Chick-fil-A informed us they seek to create a 2,600 square foot facility at 220 Riggs Rd NE, with a drive-through and pedestrian walk-up order option. There may be nine or ten parking spaces, bike racks, and outside seating, but no indoor seating due to a claim of insufficient room available.
If there is one thing this community seems to agree on, it is the desire and need for quality sit-down restaurant options in the neighborhood. Though fast food joints can barely be considered a restaurant in my book, it is disheartening that we would lose one that currently has indoor seating for one that does not. It is also unclear how often patrons would opt for outdoor seating, especially in times of inclement weather.
As I stated at the meeting, I believe replacing fast food with fast food is not much of an opportunity for this neighborhood. In the 2009 Area Development Plan for the South Dakota Avenue NE and Riggs Road NE corridor, it refers to the existing KFC-Taco Bell as an “opportunity site” for future development. Opportunities exist, as the plan notes, to have future development set back from the street allowing for a visually strong corner to be created with aesthetically unified, pedestrian-friendly, street-facing retail. Furthermore, as the plan goes on to say, future development should consider accommodating aesthetic “landmark elements,” such as public art, open space, and vegetation, to “truly create a sense of place and assist with reestablishing the intersection as the heart of the neighborhood.” Call me a cynic, but somehow having another fast food option at this busy intersection does not rise to the Area Development Plan’s aspirations.
Naturally, traffic was a touch point at the meeting. The developers are proposing replacing some existing curb cuts to help with traffic on Riggs Road and on 3rd Street, allowing one way in and one way out of the site. Their traffic engineers are studying traffic patterns and also recognized the issues with illegal U-turns on Riggs Road and on 3rd Street and with Walmart drivers exiting onto 3rd Street. When completed, they will share findings with the Distrist Department of Transportation Public Space Committee. Proximity to metro was mentioned as a positive, but I assume that the vast amount of patrons will be driving, not taking metro to come here from some other part of the city for their waffle fry fix.
The complete process including DDOT agency review, ANC4B presentation, community engagement, and public comment is expected to take nine months. Of note, a hearing with the Board of Zoning Adjustment is not needed as this is a by-right project, which involves simply replacing one fast food restaurant with another. There is a chance the Chick-fil-A representatives will be present at the November or December LRCA Development Task Force meeting, but the chairs of that committee (one of whom is the LRCA president) have not shared any specific details yet.
Beyond the discussion at the meeting, a 2019 retail market analysis encouraged The Parks Main Street (on whose Board I serve) to continue attracting new small local businesses to enliven Riggs Park. It also reinforced the notion that “there is un-tapped demand for sit-down restaurants…and available space for arts, flex, and community uses.”
As this fast food location evolves from one chain to another, I hope the developers will be willing to work with The Parks Main Street in designing a visually appealing streetscape (if such a thing is doable for a drive-through fast food joint) that both beautifies the neighborhood and is one that current and future residents can enjoy. If done well, perhaps this may incentivize an actual locally-based sit-down restaurant to set up shop in Riggs Park too.
All this said, and putting the values and politics of Chick-fil-A corporate owners aside for the moment, I will remain open to hearing what the developers have to say. We should also continue making our voices heard to ensure the community’s concerns are addressed as this process moves forward.
Chick-fil-A is apparently interested in opening a location in Riggs Park. The plan is to demo the KFC/Taco Bell located at 220 Riggs Road NE plus the former Dakota Liquor property next door to the KFC at 5510 3rd Street NE and reorient a new building on the site with a drive-thru. The developer attended the single member district meeting of ANC Commissioner Alison Brooks (4B08) earlier this month and provided renderings. (I have not received a copy of the renderings just yet). The developer will also apparently attend the Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association (LRCA) meeting on November 4. No notice has been given about that meeting just yet, but my understanding is that the developer will be there, so if you are interested in learning more, you can attend Monday’s LRCA meeting at 7:00 pm at LaSalle-Backus Education Campus (501 Riggs Road NE).
Chick-fil-A is known for having drive-thrus that are a bit of a cluster, so hopefully they will work with DDOT on a foolproof plan for not backing up traffic on either Riggs Road, 3rd Street, or 2nd Street. Drivers have long engaged in hijinks, such as illegal U-turns, to enter the KFC drive-thru on 3rd Street. Walmart visitors also exit onto 3rd Street, adding to the traffic on that narrow road. And 3rd Street and 2nd Street form kind of a gnarly intersection just north of this location that residents have long asked DDOT to do something about because that intersection does not make sense for either motorists or pedestrians.
A CubeSmart opened at 5600 2nd Street NE within the past year. We know even more development is coming to that small corridor, as earlier this year in March, the Zoning Commission voted to approve a map amendment request for the properties located at 5642, 5648, and 5650 3rd Street NE to change the zoning designation for those properties to mixed-use. See this post for that story. No word just yet on the intended uses for those properties, but a Chick-fil-A at the corner of Riggs Road and 3rd Street NE will definitely change the game for this part of the community.
Next Stop...Riggs Park 