After protests by dozens of residents, a Snellville appeals board voted Tuesday night to block a Chick-fil-A restaurant from opening up an entrance onto a residential road.

Currently, the only way to enter and exit the restaurant at 2211 Westridge Drive, is via the heavily-traveled U.S. 78. Business owners wanted to also allow access from a side road, Westridge Drive, to prevent a backup on the highway.

A city official erroneously gave the eatery permission in May for a curb cut to Westridge Drive. By June, Chick-fil-A had already forked out $40,000 to construct the new entrance and exit, which has never been used.

Residents saw construction underway on their street and called City Hall to complain since there had never been a public hearing on the matter.

Acting Planning Director Jason Thompson said he made a mistake by granting the restaurant permission for the curb cut.

Thompson, employed by the city for just two years, later realized the restaurant had previously been denied a curb cut when the eatery was constructed in 1987. That means restaurant officials should have applied in writing for a variance — a request that would have required a public hearing.

After realizing his mistake in June, Thompson ordered large orange construction barricades and cones to block access to the new entrance until the controversy could be settled by the Board of Appeals.

During Tuesday's public hearing, several residents spoke out against the new entrance, successfully urging the board to reject the variance.

Residents who live on or near Westridge Drive said there are no speed bumps in their subdivisions and speeding is already a problem.

Westridge Drive snakes through neighborhoods, forming a horseshoe that leads back to U.S. 78 further east.

Glenda Yarbrough, who has lived on Westridge Drive for 17 years, said the road is already narrow and hilly without sidewalks. She said she worries about the safety of toddlers, children on bicycles and teen-agers on skateboards.

"This is a recipe for disaster," she said.

It wasn't immediately known whether Chick-fil-A will appeal the decision and what will become of the new entranceway.

After the board voted 4-1 to deny the curb cut, residents loudly applauded and cheered. On their way out of City Hall some talked about being hungry. One man suggested eating at Chick-fil-A.