By CASSANDRA MICKENS/Associate Editor

CHELSEA — During the Chelsea City Council’s May 6 work session, Mayor Earl Niven announced that the city’s new Applebee’s restaurant is slated to open July 21.

The city council in April unanimously approved $200,000 in economic incentives for the restaurant under construction at 89 Chesser Plantation Lane.  Niven said in a previous report that the money will go toward Applebee’s infrastructure expenses like sewer and road work.

The decision was met opposition from some residents during a public hearing on the matter. They questioned why a corporate restaurant like Applebee’s needs $200,000 when it makes million dollar profits, and whether the incentive is necessary for the project to move forward. One resident worried that Applebee’s wasn’t a good match for Chelsea, home to mostly locally owned restaurants. Another resident said the incentive money would be better spent on schools and road repairs.

Following its May 6 work session, the city council unanimously approved a restaurant retail liquor and beer license for Applebee’s at its regular meeting. Councilman Dale Neuendorf made the motion to approve the resolution, and Councilman David Ingram seconded the motion.