NORFOLK, Va. — Good news for fried chicken fans in Hampton Roads: plans to bring a new fast food restaurant to Norfolk's Ghent neighborhood are moving forward.
In a public hearing Wednesday, the City Council approved zoning for a Raising Cane's restaurant on Monticello Avenue by 16th Street. The lot that would house the new restaurant is right next to the Chick-fil-A, and about a block from a KFC.
Six council members voted to move forward while two did not.
There was some doubt about whether the restaurant would be approved after the Norfolk Planning Commission voted to not recommend a permit for the fast food restaurant in late May.
Commissioners said the large-scale drive-thru would not align with the city's 2030 comprehensive plan, which would attempt to reduce vehicle traffic and promote more residential, pedestrian-friendly walkways.
The block has been an empty lot for years since the old Hampton Roads Transit building was demolished in 2016.
There are other plans in the works for the area, including bringing two more sit-down restaurants to the block, which would be an unnamed breakfast spot and a burger joint.
