Board Of Appeals Rules Against Proposed Arnold Chick-fil-A

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.

The protestants included two businesses in Arnold Station, Traynham’s Jewelers and Arnold Pharmacy; the Arnold Manor and Ashcroft homeowners’ associations; an individual resident of Arnold Manor; and nearby resident Elizabeth Rosborg’s LLC, 18 Severn Way.

“Our concern is that this is the first drive-thru-centric Chick-fil-A, not only in Anne Arundel County, but in the entire state of Maryland. And there have been no data collected for such a proposed prototype,” Rosborg said. “And we in Arnold don’t want to be the guinea pig, don’t want to be the trial one, don’t want to be the ones that are affected by such huge traffic impact.”

Rosborg cited the environmental impact of clear-cutting steep slopes and bringing in fill dirt to make the parcel level, along with unsafe traffic maneuvers patrons would have to make to access the restaurant, among her concerns.

In a statement Rosborg issued on behalf of the protestants following the July 16 ruling, she said, “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.”

Lee Wofford represented the Arnold Manor homeowners’ association during the appeals process and appealed one of the modifications in a private capacity. He shared that Arnold Manor would be the development most affected by the Chick-fil-A, as residents’ properties adjoin the parcel where the restaurant would be built. Wofford voiced concerns about traffic, child and pedestrian safety, property values and pollution, adding, “Of course it’s broader than us. It’s also about a neighborhood. It’s also about a community that’s much bigger than us.”

“I have nothing against Chick-fil-A, never have,” Wofford said, noting that he has two relatives who own three of the restaurants in other states. “They’re a good citizen in the community. They’re all over Maryland – you can’t shake a burger without hitting one. But that being said, we don’t think that this is the proper place, at the proper time, for a business that we know is going to be busy.”

The three members of the Board of Appeals who dissented on the ruling stated in writing that the board’s sole responsibility is to ensure that development proposals are compliant with county code.

“Over the course of multiple hearings, the Petitioner’s expert witnesses presented careful testimony and voluminous evidence detailing compliance with the relevant County Code sections. The County then presented the professional comments of the various governmental reviewers confirming the application’s compliance with the County Code. Together, the information received represents overwhelming evidence that the Petitioner’s requests meet all standards to obtain Preliminary Plan and modification approval,” they wrote.

Chick-fil-A has 30 days following the board’s July 16 ruling to appeal the decision.