Santa Barbara City Council approves Chick-fil-A traffic agreement, rescinds direction to declare public nuisance

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The Santa Barbara City Council on Tuesday rescinded its direction to prepare to declare Chick-fil-A a public nuisance because of the major traffic back-ups that result from the restaurant's drive-through lanes, and approved a proposed traffic circulation agreement.

"In recent years, the queuing from Chick-fil-A's drive-through onto State Street created serious traffic congestion, as well as hazardous conditions for pedestrians, cyclists, and those with disabilities," said city spokeswoman Shelly Cone.

"At the meeting on Tuesday, staff and Chick-fil-A presented reports demonstrating that temporary measures implemented by the restaurant have significantly improved those conditions."

The agreement provides enforceable traffic control measures and site improvements for the restaurant, located at 3707 State Street. The proposal included adding a third drive-through lane to mitigate the traffic back-ups.

Councilman Eric Friedman said that Chick-fil-A's proposal addressed all of the public safety, environmental review, and Architectural Board of Review concerns.