KETTERING NEIGHBORS STILL FIGHTING CHICKEN EATERY
Kettering planners say requested rezoning will not be recommended.
Residents who live KETTERING — near a proposed Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers restaurant have vowed to continue their opposition as the plan makes its way to Kettering City Council.
Raising Cane’s wants to build a restaurant near the Stroop Road and Far Hills Avenue intersection, but developers believe they need to rezone land around the site to make it work. The plan calls to rezone one residential lot on Carrlands Avenue and two office lots to commercial status.
The site would include the former OinkADoodleMoo restaurant at 3910 Far Hills Avenue, a space that previously housed a Chipotle restaurant and, decades earlier, the Kettering Village Inn.
A public hearing on the proposal was held before the Kettering Planning Commission on Oct. 1. Planners said the developer had failed to meet criteria in the code needed for rezoning, but council members will have the final say.
City Planner David Roller said city staff is recommending to council that the rezoning request be denied.
“The property at 3920 Far Hills Ave is zoned appropriately for fast food,” he said. “However, the small lot size is not conducive to such a use. The request will move forward to council for their decision. They are the decision maker.”
Accompanying the recommendation will be a recent study conducted by the regional real estate
continued from B1 appraisal firm Good Inc., which shows that “residential property values can decrease by 10 percent or more when fast food is located adjacent to or within a residential neighborhood. The adjacent neighborhood should be protected and preserved. Further, the residential neighborhood is presently stable and thriving; adding such a major change could upset that balance.”
Carrlands Avenue resident Kathryn Richard said she remembers when Chipotle and other restaurants at the location failed and she “would be furious” if the area is rezoned. She was one of several residents who came to planning commission to voice disapproval or sent letters in opposition.
Drew Gatliff, pre-development manager for Raising Cane’s, said the business would be a good neighbor and has a proven track record.
“We take a lot of pride in our facilities,” he said.
The franchise plans to open its second Dayton-area location at 4384 Indian Ripple Road across from The Greene Town Center in Beavercreek, and was hoping to make Kettering its third Dayton-area restaurant.
The Indian Ripple location will open Oct. 30 adjacent to the Waffle House on Indian Ripple Road, directly across from the entrance to The Greene Town Center.
When the new restaurant across from The Greene opens, it will be 28th in Ohio. There are more than 403 Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers nationwide.
The restaurant opened its first Dayton-area location last year at 1136 Miamisburg-Centerville Road in Washington Twp. and joined an increasingly competitive chicken-restaurant market, with most recent growth focused on Dayton’s south suburbs. Contact this reporter at 937225-0586 or email Wayne. Baker@coxinc.com.