Chick-fil-A Appeal Decision

Statement from Elizabeth Rosborg on behalf of the plaintiffs: two small local businesses in Arnold Station, two homeowner associations, an individual resident, and an LLC.

We appreciate the Board’s decision on this appeal. Their ruling affirms what residents, business owners, and traffic experts consistently stated throughout the public hearings: the scale and design of this proposed drive-thru-centric Chick-fil-A present serious, well-documented traffic and safety risks for this corridor.

During the Board of Appeals hearings held on this proposed commercial development, multiple residents testified that this section of Route 2–directly adjacent to the US 50 on-ramp–is already congested and experiences regular backups, especially during peak seasonal traffic. Community members emphasized that adding a high-volume restaurant to this location would worsen gridlock, obstruct neighborhood access, and create avoidable safety hazards.

Residents also raised concerns about environmental impacts, removal of specimen trees, and the introduction of the first drive-thru-centric Chick-fil-A in the state of Maryland. We do not support introducing an untested traffic model into one of Arnold’s most constrained choke points.

Our position has always been clear: any proposed development of this parcel must strictly adhere to the county code, respect the limitations of the site, and protect the surrounding community. We recognize Chick-fil-A is a business. However, a drive-thru-centric restaurant of this scale requires a location capable of handling the associated traffic volume. As public testimony overwhelmingly demonstrates, Arnold is not that location.

We are grateful to the residents and supporters who attended hearings, submitted testimony, and contributed to the legal fund. This decision affirms the value of engaged evidence-based community advocacy.

Thank you to the members of the Board of Appeals and their staff. We appreciate their time and effort put forth in this decision. 

The following is the text for reference -

ORDER

For the reasons set forth in the foregoing Memorandum of Opinion, it is this 16th day of July, 2026, by the County Board of Appeals of Anne Arundel County, ORDERED, that the Petitioner's request for Preliminary Plan approval for the construction of a 2,852 square foot Chick-fil-A restaurant with a two-lane drive-thru, and associated parking and landscaping, and approval of modification requests to Article 17-6-306(c), Retention Below the Threshold, and to Article 17-6-303(b), Priority Retention Area are hereby DENIED.

The full MEMORADUM OF OPINION