For five years, community members have spoken out about the construction of a new drive-thru-only Chick-fil-A along southbound Ritchie Highway in Arnold. Following preliminary plan approval granted by the county last year, the Anne Arundel County Board of Appeals held nine hearings for public testimony in late 2025.
Last month, the Board of Appeals issued a memorandum of opinion, voting 4-3 in the appellants’ favor. It reads: “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.”
Community members in opposition to the construction of a Chick-fil-A at 1500 Ritchie Highway just south of the CVS Pharmacy and Sunoco gas station raised concerns regarding traffic, pedestrian safety, environmental impact and the removal of specimen trees…