Too plain? Design plans for new Chick-fil-A in Naples sent back to the drawing board

The Design Review Board has sent Chick-fil-A back to the drawing board on a proposed restaurant in Naples.

On Wednesday, the board continued a preliminary review hearing indefinitely, saying the design did nothing for them – or the city.

Plans for the new eatery, submitted to the city, showed a modern building, with a dual lane drive-thru, as well as new signage, new lighting and new landscaping, with parking and the main entrance on the north side of the property.

Earlier: Chick-fil-A wants to replace Red Lobster in Naples with new modern restaurant

Board members criticized the simplicity of the building, with some describing it as a box that looked like it could be dropped anywhere else in the country.

"If it works in Miami, get rid of it," said member Adriane Orion, an architect herself.

She emphasized the design must be "fully customized for Naples." Otherwise, she said, it's unlikely to win support from the board, which must sign off on it, if it's to be built.

"If you could pick this up and take it on a road show that's the wrong idea," Orion said. "It's not going to pass."

She picked apart the design, from the choice of landscaping to the amount of black top in the parking lot. Especially in the summer, she said "people are going to be fainting" when they walk in and out of the restaurant.

Board chairman Stephen Hruby, an urban planner, said "corporate architecture" is discouraged in Naples. He said it's why the design review board exists today. He pointed to CVS and 7-11 stores in the city that don't look like they do elsewhere, and blend in better, with a more appealing street-facing design.

The design presented by Chick-fil-A, he said, didn't respect the neighbors, nor the street. The site, the former home of a Red Lobster, sits off U.S. 41, near the Coastland Center mall.

"41 is an entry point," Hruby said. "It is a gateway into the city."

While he admitted there are unattractive buildings along the road, he pointed out redevelopment has begun to right that wrong.

Hruby raised myriad concerns about the design, including the orientation of the parking, which could be seen from the street, and the placement of the front door on the side, rather than at the front of the building.

Member Luke Fredrickson, a local builder, said the proposed restaurant needed a complete redesign and shouldn't look like any other Chick-fil-A, but rather unique to Naples, taking into account the city's distinctive character and small-town charm.

"For me, it's a no-go," he said. "The entire site doesn't work for me."

Member Doug Haughey questioned whether the location is right for such a busy fast-food restaurant, so close to homes.

"I think you guys put out a great product, but we need to mitigate how this is going to affect the surrounding area," he said.

He didn't think the design did enough to minimize the expected impacts, including impacts on views, noise and traffic.

Member Chae duPont, a real estate lawyer, raised concerns about the design of the dual drive-thru lanes, and the effects if they got backed up, as they often do in other locations. She said the city received letters of concern about the traffic the restaurant would generate.

If the traffic should back up onto U.S. 41, going south, she said, that would be "a logistical nightmare." The road often backs up for miles in the area already during peak hours.

In reviewing the preliminary design for the building, city planners did not raise any objections, finding the proposed development would "contribute to the image" of Naples.

At the hearing, Leslee Dulmer, the city's deputy planning director, pointed out the project still has a long way to go in the review and approval process, however. Going before the Design Review Board was just the first step.

The applicants, going under a name similar to the property's address, have not yet submitted a site plan to the city, so staff has not even begun its more in-depth review, and the plan must be found sufficient if the project is to move ahead, Dulmer said.

"So, we're really in the early days here," she noted.

City council would have to approve the drive-thru and the outdoor dining that are included in the project.

The drive-thru lanes would only be allowed through the granting of a conditional use by council, which is "never a slam dunk," Dulmer stressed. Such requests, she said, are subject to a "high level of scrutiny," by staff and council.

Once the necessary council approvals are in hand, the project would still require a final sign off from the Design Review Board before permits could be issued for construction.

The land targeted for the project is zoned highway commercial district.

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At the hearing, project architect Nick Forthman, with Narrate Design, presented the preliminary plans for the restaurant on behalf of Chick-fil-A.

The plans showed a 4,524-square-foot restaurant, with 59 parking spaces, and 68 seats inside, with another 16 seats on an outside patio. Notably, there isn't a playground.

Due to the specifics of the site, the restaurant would have a somewhat "custom format," Forthman said. The design, he said, incorporated features of nearby buildings, including their natural tones.

He and his client felt the plans were in keeping with the city's architectural and landscape design standards.

After hearing the feedback from the Design Review Board, Forthman said he would take it back to Chick-fil-A, to see what modifications could be made that wouldn't hamper operations at the site. He said "the prototype kitchen" is important and plays heavily into the design.

A spokeswoman for Chick-fil-A declined to comment.

The chosen site is at 2355 Ninth St. N. a little north of Golden Gate Parkway. After operating there for decades, the only Red Lobster in Collier County closed in November 2022.

The property, spanning 1.4 acres, was first developed in 1969 with an office building. City records show several permits have been issued over the years for alterations, repairs and upgrades to the existing structure, which would be demolished to make way for the new restaurant.

This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Chick-fil-A sent back to the drawing board on new restaurant in Naples