| By Neil Johnson, reporter/anchor, Big Radio |
Chicken fingers chain Raising Cane’s has the city of Janesville’s blessing to build a new restaurant over top of the existing Famous Dave’s restaurant off Milton Avenue.
Following a public hearing Monday night, the city’s plan commission unanimously OK’d a conditional-use permit and property easements for Raising Cane’s to build a new drive-thru, dine-in restaurant at 3030 Milton Ave.
Some Famous Dave’s employees have told the city they were blindsided by the property owner’s plan to tear down Famous Dave’s and build a Raising Cane’s there. They say in emails to city of Janesville administration that they only got word of the plan through local news media coverage.
On Monday, Plan Commission Chairwoman Kathy Voskuil said it’s not the commission’s job to hash out conflicts between an owner and two conflicting business users. She admonished people who’d come to issue public comment Monday to temper their comments.
Voskuil made it clear the commission’s discussion and debate would be based only on design, zoning and use aspects of the project that relate to the plan commission’s decisions on a conditional-use permit and boundary and sign easements.
“We are not here t0 debate one entity (Raising Cane’s) over another (Famous Dave’s), and we will not debate that,” she said.
Janesville resident Brian Whurling was peeved the plan commission’s rules seemed to only allow him to bring up traffic concerns. He did so, telling the commission he thinks Raising Cane’s could add to traffic congestion at Milton Avenue and Humes Road, one of the busiest intersections in Rock County.
Then he echoed concerns of Famous Dave’s employees, although he said he knew it wouldn’t make a difference in the commission’s decision.
“The only thing you left for us to argue about is traffic,” Whurling said. “So, that’s the only thing I get to say here, but as long as I’m throwing in my two-cents-worth, I’m going to say, you know, don’t kill Famous Dave’s for the sixth fast-food chicken joint on the same intersection. But you guys will do what you’re going to do anyways.”
As traffic goes, Famous Dave’s lot does not have a direct exit onto Milton Avenue or Humes Road, and Raising Cane’s would use the same outlets, under plans shown Monday.
Traffic would use two frontage roads to get in and out of Raising Cane’s. Those roads empty onto Milton Avenue and North Lexington Drive about a block south of the restaurant site and the busy intersection of Humes Road and Milton Avenue. That’s where at least 30,000 vehicles pass a day.
Raising Cane’s development manager, Rick Williamson, says Raising Cane’s uses outside attendants to corral drive-thru traffic. The business plan for the restaurant, which relies on 60% to 80% drive-thru business, would use two drive-thru lanes, with room to queue up to 14 cars at once.
Williamson says Raising Cane’s has a unique way of tackling traffic congestion that might come during a new store’s first busy weeks: They enlist off-duty local cops to help queue and direct traffic in and out of the restaurant’s lot and streets alongside adjacent properties.
WCLO was unable to reach the owner of 3030 Milton Ave. to ask when Famous Dave’s could be demolished, and if Famous Dave’s workers were ever told of the project.
A spokesperson from Raising Cane’s says the company expects to break ground in November and have the new restaurant open sometime in 2025.
