Nik Rajkovic / news@whmi.com

Traffic congestion remains a major concern for some Hartland Township residents who live off Blaine Road, south of where a proposed Chick-Fil-A plans to set up shop along M-59, just east of U.S. 23.

Specifically, the plan approved by the Planning Commission last week, would divert Chick-Fil-A customers down Blaine Road, through the Rural King parking lot and back to the restaurant.

"Burger King has been closed for five years. The amount of traffic in-and-out of that parking lot now is effectively zero, and has been for years now," said one resident of Hartland Shores Estates.

"Chick-Fil-A, the amount of traffic that's going to be in-and-out of that parking lot, I think it was 139 cars an hour, is one of the numbers we heard."

The fear for those who live south of Rural King is they'll essentially be cut off from M-59 and U.S. 23 altogether.

"We're the residents. We're the people who live here. It's our taxes that are paying for Blaine Road and the upkeep."

It was suggested during last week's public hearing, those residents could just cut through Rural King and get to M-59 near Red Olive and McDonald's.

"Why should we have to take this circuitous route that's a lot slower going through the parking? It's longer. Why don't the people who are going to Chick-Fil-A take that route? Why don't they turn in on Glenn Meadow Drive and exit the same way, and leave Blaine Road alone?"

The only other option for residents of Hartland Shores, along with Brighton Township's Lancers Trail/Lake Pines and Hillsborough Estates, is to go south on Blaine to Maxfield, to Hyne Road and Old U.S. 23, and back north to M-59.

The full Hartland Township Board is scheduled to meet again Tuesday, April 22.

Photo 1: Eastbound M-59 at Blaine Road.

Photo 2: Southbound Blaine Road from M-59.

Photo 3: Northbound Blaine Road to M-59.