Village Board paves way for two new restaurants

Grafton is one step closer to getting a Chick-fil-A and Café Zupas.

The Village Board last week approved a certified survey map that splits land at 1346 Port Washington Rd. into two lots for the restaurants and rezoning the property to accommodate the eateries, which will be built on the site of the current OfficeMax, which will be razed.

The rezoning request by HR Green Inc. will create a planned unit development, which allows the village to deviate from the base zoning — in this case, to allow drive-through lanes, adjust the allowable number of parking spaces and allow the spillover of light onto neighboring properties, Community Development Director Gabriel Gilbertson said, noting light from the parking lot will spill onto a shared parking area.

Approval includes a number of improvements to the median and turn lanes on Port Washington Road north of the access drive to the Target-Home Depot site just east of the restaurants.

Those changes include shortening the left turn lanes at Port Road and Highway 60 as well as lengthening the left turn lane on Port Road to access the Target and Home Depot site.

But Trustee Kevin Curtis noted that the village originally requested additional crosswalks as well, something he said the developer pushed back on during the Plan Commission meeting.

Gilbertson said the street improvements were recommended in a traffic study of the area, adding that staff members believed a crosswalk might be a good idea as well.

Village President Dan Delorit asked if it is something the village could undertake in the future.

“That’s something we could explore and implement as a village project,” Gilbertson said, especially as development increases. “I think ultimately adding crosswalks there should have a little more research and refinement of the plans ... just to make sure it’s a safe walk.”

The plans for Chick-fil-A and Café Zupas will be presented to the village’s Architectural Review Board in May.

It’s been two years since a proposal to bring a Chick-fil-A restaurant to Grafton was first reviewed by the village.

Last March, plans for a Chick-fil-A restaurant and a bank to be built on the site of the OfficeMax store were initially reviewed by the Plan Commission.

Last year, the village said that while plans for the restaurant were still in development, the project was put on hold after the bank pulled out of the project.

In fall, the village took steps to make it easier for a drive-through restaurant to be built along Port Washington Road, and in December the Plan Commission had an initial review of plans for Chick-fil-A and Café Zupas.

According to documents filed with the village, the proposed Chick-fil-A would be built on the north side of the property. The 4,982-square-foot building would have a two-lane drive-through.

The restaurant would operate from 6 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays with a maximum 30 employees per shift.

  Café Zupas, which would be built on the south portion of the property, would be 2,916 square feet and have a two-lane drive-through.

The restaurant is expected to be open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily with a maximum nine employees per shift.

Construction of the restaurants, which are being developed by Alrig Mars Grafton LLC, is expected to begin in August and be completed in time for a February opening.