At its latest meeting, the Mount Pleasant Planning and Zoning Commission approved the site plan for a new Sonic restaurant, recommending it for final approval by the City Council.
The main agenda item was the consideration of the Sonic site plan. The commission heard from city staff, who confirmed that the proposed restaurant meets all local building codes and ordinances. The plan includes the addition of a new fire hydrant in the northwest corner of the property, a requirement set by the utility department to improve fire safety in the area. Public Works and utility officials had already signed off on the plan. Gary Shahan with Building & Zoning thinks the plan is sufficient.
A significant portion of the discussion centered around traffic flow. The Sonic development is part of a larger site that includes a Jimmy John’s and a T-Mobile store, with shared access roads and utilities. Some commissioners raised concerns about how vehicles would enter and exit Sonic, particularly since traffic would need to pass through the Jimmy John’s lot. Questions were also raised about whether an additional entrance on the south side of the Sonic property would help ease congestion.
Despite these concerns, the commission ultimately agreed that the existing traffic plan—developed when the entire site was first planned—was sufficient. The motion to approve the site plan was passed unanimously. With no further public comments or additional business, the meeting was adjourned.