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Friday, November 6, 2026 Burlington, Massachusetts · Change town
Government · Other Committee

Chick-fil-A withdraws Burlington drive-thru bid

The Burlington Zoning Board of Appeals let a Chick-fil-A applicant withdraw its drive-through variance request after members balked at the design.

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Other Committee · Meeting of May 5, 2026

BURLINGTON — The Burlington Zoning Board of Appeals let a Chick-fil-A applicant withdraw its drive-through variance request after members balked at the design. Project manager Joey Fonseca told the board the chain's prototype requires a two-lane drive-through and a canopy that would sit as much as 6.3 feet into a 15-foot setback near 2 Wall Street. Board member John said, "I'm not crazy about your first answer about minimizing the size of the building." Board members pushed a cantilevered canopy alternative and a reduced 3.3-foot variance before Fonseca said Chick-fil-A preferred to withdraw and rework the plan.

The board voted 5-0 to allow withdrawal without prejudice. Planning Director Liz Bonaventri's email flagged needed traffic studies, a Route 3 review by MassDOT and a bus shelter. The board separately approved four illuminated signs, 5-0, for Protego Dental at One Wheeler Road.

In the full story:

  • The Full Story
  • Why It Matters
  • Key Motions & Votes
  • Source
  • Burlington's community access TV: Zoning Board of Appeals meeting, May 5, 2026
  • The complete report: 814 words

Source: the Other Committee meeting of May 5, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript.

Members read the rest of this story and every Burlington meeting we cover, in full.

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