By DAVE HAMRICK
Staff Writer

Fayetteville planners are hoping developers of a new pharmacy on Ga. Highway 85 can help solve a long-standing traffic problem next door at Wendy's restaurant.

Planning Commission members last week asked developers of a new CVS Pharmacy at 510 N. Glynn St. to consider working out an agreement to connect the CVS driveway on Ga. Highway 92 to Wendy's so some of the restaurant's customers can exit that way.

Currently, heavy lunchtime crowds at the popular fast-food restaurant all must use Hwy. 85, and the restaurant hires off-duty police officers to direct traffic at peak times.

The problem with that, say city officials, is that traffic backs up on 85 in favor of letting the customers out.

Access to Hwy. 92 won't completely solve the problem, said city manager Mike Bryant, but it couldn't hurt. “This should take some pressure off 85,” he said.

The idea came up just a day before CVS's development plan was to be considered by the Planning Commission last week, so a shared access agreement couldn't be worked out in time to make it part of the development plan. But CVS spokesmen promised to contact Wendy's owners and “work it out if we can.”

The super pharmacy's property wraps around Checker's, and plans include a shared driveway with that restaurant. With slight changes in design, the driveway can be extended to Wendy's as well, said Bryant.