Planning commission approves Chick‑fil‑A flagship with relocated drive‑thru and mural at Manchester Boulevard

The Inglewood Planning Commission on May 6 unanimously approved a special use permit for a proposed 5,000‑square‑foot Chick‑fil‑A at 30003 West Manchester Boulevard, the site of the former Big Lots store.

Assistant planner Faith Smith told the commission the application (SUP25‑000024) repositions the drive‑thru to the rear of the shopping center and orients building frontage to Manchester Boulevard to improve walkability and circulation. The proposal includes a roughly 320‑square‑foot placeholder mural, outdoor dining, an indoor play area, double‑lane drive‑thru queuing capable of accommodating up to 31 vehicles and 67 parking spaces on site; the city’s minimum is 18 spaces.

Smith said planning staff and the applicant refined building materials and fenestration to create a ‘‘flagship’’ look responsive to earlier commission direction. She also described two traffic‑related conditions recommended by the traffic division: employee assistance with drive‑thru queue management (cones and guidance during overflow) and installation of no‑left‑turn signs on Manchester Boulevard.

Property owner Alex Kazakov, who spoke for the landlords, thanked the commission and staff for their input and said the project team ‘‘stepped outside of the prototypical restaurant design’’ to meet the city’s goals. ‘‘I think the Chick‑fil‑A team really took that to heart,’’ Kazakov said.

Commissioners and members of the public pressed the applicant and staff on vehicle queuing, the location and operation of drive‑thru speakers, and potential impacts to nearby residences. Carlos, the applicant’s development manager, said the speakers are located under a marked area on the site plan and ‘‘point away from the residence’’ and that modern equipment will self‑adjust volume. City staff described a landscaped ‘‘knuckle’’ on the site plan intended to reduce stacking onto Manchester and explained that cones and an operator traffic mitigation plan would be used if vehicles exceed on‑site queuing capacity.

A resident questioned whether the site qualified as a shopping center under the municipal code — a determination that allows a stand‑alone fast‑food use on this property. City staff replied that the municipal code treats multiple buildings on a single site as a shopping center, and explained that the property historically contained multiple tenant buildings, including the former Big Lots, which meets the code interpretation used for the SUP.

With no public letters received for or against the project, the commission voted to affirm categorical exemption EA‑CE‑2026‑00002 and adopt the resolution approving SUP25‑000024. The planning staff noted the applicant may be required to complete a site plan review and that a final mural design will return for design review; the commission also explained that appeals must be filed within 20 days per the Inglewood Municipal Code.

The applicant said it expects to prepare construction drawings in the coming months and aims to start construction as early as next year, subject to permit processing.