Fairfield City Council entertained legislation on Monday for the concept and final development plan for a City Barbeque restaurant as part of the Stockton Station planned unit development.
The legislation was held for just a first reading last week. Next week, City Council and the Fairfield Planning Commission will hold a joint public hearing to discuss the plan specifics, according to city documents.
“City Barbecue is a very popular Ohio-born chain, and we think they’ll be well received by Fairfield residents,” said Nathaniel Kaelin, Fairfield Economic Development manager.
The plan is for City Barbecue to take over the 3,300-square-foot former Gold Star restaurant at the southwest corner of Ohio 4 and Seward Road, he said.
Plans show the site contains two parcels. The front parcel is where the former Gold Star restaurant sits that closed on Dec. 31, 2020. The rear parcel fronts Stockton Station Drive and is vacant, though contains a grave marker. This rear parcel will be used for parking, according to the plans.
The Stockton Station area of the city consists of more than 200 single-family homes and five commercial lots that front Dixie Highway in the southern end of the city. The former Gold Star Chili restaurant was the first commercial business developed and constructed in 2000. Other businesses that followed were Gordon Food Service, Caruso’s (formerly the Spinning Fork), Starbucks, and a small retail center that includes Rapid Fire Pizza, Dickie’s Barbecue and a cellphone repair business.
Near the intersection of Symmes Road and Stockton Station Drive, there’s a small four-person cemetery for the Walker family enclosed by a white fence. Ezekiel and Abigail Walker are interred at this site known as the Stockton Cemetery with their son, James and his wife, Sarah. Plans submitted to the city show the development would not disturb the small cemetery.
City Barbecue is a fast-casual barbecue chain founded in Columbus. It’s grown to nearly 50 company-owned restaurants across six states. The current locations closest to Fairfield are on Voice of America Centre Drive in West Chester Twp. and Kenwood Drive in Blue Ash.
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