Sunny Ghai has always wanted to move his fast-food restaurants to Ripon.

He's the franchise owner of Burger King, including the one in Lathrop.

No surprise that Ghai was thrilled Tuesday when the Planning Commission approved the Major Site Plan Permit for both his Burger King and Popeye's Chicken development, based on the findings and subject to the staff report, while adopting the Negative Declaration for the project in the Ripon Crossing shopping center..

"We're good and very excited about coming to town," he said, with plans of opening sometime this year.

Located at 744 North Jack Tone Road along a 1.11-acre parcel, the project brought up concerns from Commissioners on the main access to the site consisting of several existing commercial driveways — two off Jack Tone Road and four off Kamps Way.

According to Planning Director Ken Zuidervaart, three new driveway entrances will be constructed to access the site.

"As one of the conditions of approval, the applicant will be required to modify the two commercial driveway approaches on Jack Tone Road by removing the 'pork chop' curbing between the curb line and the sidewalk and modifying the driveway medians to allow for better access to the site," he said.

Additional requirements of the project would include restriping on Jack Tone Road, from the interchange to Canal Boulevard, creating a dedicated two-way left turn lane to better facilitate safe turning movements for southbound traffic on Jack Tone to access the site.

The Burger King building will be constructed near the south / east corner of the site with vehicles queuing to the drive-thru on the southside of the building adjacent to the shared driveway entrance to the shopping center.

The Popeye's Chicken building will occupy the north boundary of the site with vehicles queuing for the drive-thru located north of the building.

Neither drive-thru restaurants would be open between midnight and 5 a.m.

Burger King and Popeye's will join existing businesses such as Les Schwab Tire Center, Tractor Supply Co., and Boat Country, along with the nearly completed Alpine Climbing Adventure Fitness, and the future Shell gas station / convenience store and Tommy's Express Car Wash.