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Contributed commentary by Tere Kangas on plans for the new In-N-Out in Clarksville:

Members of the Clarksville-Montgomery County Regional Planning Commission, I am writing to express my strong concern and opposition to allowing another high-traffic fast food restaurant to be developed at the former Quality Inn property on Wilma Rudolph Boulevard between Holiday Drive and (Interstate 24) Exit 4.

This location already experiences significant traffic congestion, particularly around the intersection of Holiday Drive. The existing Chick-fil-A generates an enormous amount of traffic, and during busy periods the resulting backups can make it extremely difficult to get through the intersection. At times, it can take 30 minutes or more just to get through this area coming off Holiday Drive from the apartment complex.

Adding an In-N-Out Burger at this same location seems completely counterproductive from a traffic and public safety standpoint. In-N-Out is an extremely popular restaurant, and it is reasonable to expect substantial additional vehicle traffic from customers, the drive-thru, deliveries and vehicles entering and leaving the property.

My concern is not simply about adding another restaurant. It is about putting another major traffic generator in a location that already struggles to handle the traffic it has today.

| PREVIOUSLY: In-N-Out Burger plans location in Clarksville as next step in Tennessee expansion

Before approving this project, I strongly urge the Regional Planning Commission to carefully consider the existing congestion at Wilma Rudolph Boulevard and Holiday Drive and the additional traffic this restaurant will bring. I also believe the impact on Exit 4 and surrounding roads needs to be thoroughly evaluated.

Clarksville has experienced tremendous growth, and with that growth comes a responsibility to make thoughtful decisions about where high-volume businesses are located. We should not continue approving developments that place additional strain on intersections and roadways that are already overwhelmed.

I respectfully ask the RPC to reject or delay approval of this project until the traffic implications have been thoroughly studied and there is a credible plan to prevent even greater congestion at Holiday Drive and Wilma Rudolph Boulevard.

Residents and drivers deserve infrastructure that can safely accommodate the development being approved in our community. Approving another major drive-thru restaurant at this particular location without adequately addressing the existing traffic problems would be a serious mistake.

Thank you for your consideration and for listening to the concerns of the citizens who use this roadway every day. Please stop holding residents hostage to poor decisions.

Tere Kangas

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