S. WHITEHALL TWP., Pa. – Lehigh County could be getting a new Chick-fil-A.
That’s if a proposal in South Whitehall Township gets zoning relief.
A legal notice for the South Whitehall Township Zoning Hearing Board meeting on Nov. 5 indicates that Chick-fil-A is seeking several zoning variances that could pave the way for the popular fast-food chicken restaurant at 1605 N. Cedar Crest Blvd.
The nearly 11-acre parcel is situated in the township’s GC-1, General Commercial-Special Height Limitation zoning district, Innovation Overlay District #3. The site is bounded by Walbert Avenue to the north, Cedar Crest Boulevard to the west, and Office Center Road to the south and east.
According to planning commission documents from August, the plan proposes to subdivide the existing parcel into two lots. Lot 1 will consist of almost 10 acres and will contain the existing Roma Corporate building and associated parking. Lot 2 will consist of just over 1 acre and will be developed with the proposed 5,133-square-foot Chick-fil-A restaurant with a drive-thru, two permanent drive-thru canopy structures, 55 parking spaces, a standalone trash enclosure and associated utilities.
The proposed development will connect to existing public water and sewer services.
Specifically, the zoning hearing board is set to consider four variances for the property to allow the following: a side yard setback of 5.4 feet where 25 feet are required, 55 parking spaces for the proposed restaurant use where 59 are required, 588 parking spaces for the existing office building where 610 are required, and a freestanding sign that would exceed the maximum sign area limit of 100 square feet.
The Chick-fil-A plan was scheduled to be reviewed by the South Whitehall Planning Commission on Oct. 15, but it was removed from the agenda for that meeting.
Best known for its chicken sandwiches, nuggets and waffle fries, Chick-fil-A is the third largest quick-service restaurant company in the U.S. Local owner-operators run more than 3,000 of the restaurants across the U.S., Canada and other locations.
Currently, Lehigh County has two Chick-fil-A locations at 2610 MacArthur Road in Whitehall Township and at 6379 Hamilton Blvd. in Lower Macungie Township. The area’s first location at the Lehigh Valley Mall closed in 2025 after 27 years in business.
The zoning hearing board meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 5, at 7 p.m. at the South Whitehall Township municipal building at 4444 Walbert Ave.
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