Church’s Chicken Gets Zoning Approval

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

A group of Milwaukee residents who fought a fast-food restaurant proposed for their north side neighborhood lost a battle Thursday.

But they might be embarking on a broader campaign against what they consider an unhealthy concentration of such restaurants in the central city.

The Board of Zoning Appeals approved a special-use permit for Church’s Chicken at 1635 W. North Ave., making it the third fried chicken restaurant within a 10-block stretch of North Ave.

Opponents contend that its high-calorie food is a health hazard, and that their neighborhood already is saturated with fast food. Similar arguments led the Los Angeles City Council in July to approve a one-year moratorium on fast-food restaurants in its poorest neighborhoods.

The opposition was led by Walnut Way Conservation Corp. The group coordinates several community vegetable gardens, including one directly behind the proposed restaurant, and supports a neighborhood farmers market.