Plough, Stewart lose tempers as traffic around Chick-fil-A goes unresolved

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Annexing land for future industrial use wasn’t the only matter on the Kokomo Common Council’s agenda on Feb. 23 that evoked anger and frustration. But it was in-fighting among the council members that took center stage.

When it came to the issue of adding “No Parking” signs along Imperial Drive, which was recently opened to provide access to Chick-fil-A along Ind. 931, tension was evident between council members Tony Stewart and Jeff Plough.

The conflict found its origin in the council leadership’s decision to replace Plough with Stewart on the Kokomo Traffic Commission in January. Plough fell out of favor with some council members after voting against a pay raise for the council in October 2025.

It became apparent that the move was not forgotten. Plough and Stewart exchanged words about Imperial Drive in the council’s caucus before the meeting, with Plough questioning the action.

When Plough suggested that there are many streets within the city that are not in compliance with the ordinance that requires a minimum width of a street to allow parking, Stewart responded as Plough continued to speak.

“I mean, we could go around to different places, but here’s the thing, Jeff,” said Stewart. “We could go ahead and give them some type of waiver, but then we are responsible if an ambulance can’t get down there or there’s a wreck or something happens.”

That tension built silently through the regular meeting, and when the issue of parking on Imperial came before them, Stewart explained the necessity for the No Parking designation.

“This ordinance is about safety and accessibility,” said Stewart. “The width of Imperial Drive … does not safely accommodate parking on both sides while still allowing adequate room for traffic flow. It restricts visibility, narrows travel lanes, and creates challenges for emergency vehicles such as fire trucks, ambulances, and the police to pass through safely and quickly.

“By establishing no parking on both sides of the streets, we are prioritizing emergency access, improving traffic movement, and enhancing overall neighborhood safety for the residents and pedestrians at this time.”

The public had something to say about the matter. Sheila Off, a resident of the Cedar Crest subdivision, spoke to the council, expressing concerns she had raised over the previous two years before Imperial Drive was opened to the commercial space containing Chick-fil-A.

“Who’s going to pay attention those signs?” asked Off. “Nobody pays attention and reads signs anyway. And then you want people to pay to make their driveways bigger so they park their cars in their driveway? Well, nobody’s gonna do that either. There are poor people out there.

“I just think it was wrong. That’s what I said back in December 2023, and I kept saying that every hearing. We’ve got to make this right for the for the residents in that neighborhood.”

Resident Brian Helm also spoke on the matter, expressing concerns about the increased traffic that is snarling streets all around the newly opened restaurant.

“So, we put Chick-fil-A in a bad place,” said Helm. “If you go look at the traffic, you know it. And now you want to affect all these people on Imperial Drive. The real issue is your resolution is short-sighted. All you’re talking about is Imperial Drive.

“When are you going to address left hand turns onto Markland? You see the crashes. Go out there now and see the left-hand turns. People are trying to turn out of Chick-fil-A onto Markland. You can’t get to Sam’s Club. You can’t get the Hobby Lobby, period.

“If you’re thinking about traffic, I understand all you’re trying to do is open that drive. But think a little deeper about all the traffic flow out there, because Markland Avenue is now a mess. It was a mess before, but it’s worse now. Expand this resolution so that you can fix Markland Avenue at the same time, and don’t just stop between 931 and 31. Go west as well.”

As he had stated during the first reading of the ordinance, Stewart pledged to continue working for a long-term solution to the traffic issue created along Imperial Drive. But many council members who had watched as the problem emerged without the city administration acting beforehand to mitigate it, were unwilling to wait for a solution.

The measure did pass on a 5-4 vote, with council members Plough, Dave Capshaw, Bob Stephenson, and Crystal Sanburn voting against the No Parking signs. But that wasn’t the end of the matter.

After the meeting, Off approached Plough, Stewart, and council president Greg Davis to discuss the Imperial Drive matter further. It quickly became obvious that the bad blood created when the council majority chose to remove Plough from the traffic commission and replace him with Stewart boiled to the surface.

Stewart and Plough engaged in a heated exchange that erupted no less than three times as Stewart left and returned to continue the argument.

“You’re just trying to get re-elected!” Stewart exclaimed as Plough expressed his opinion on the matter.

The raised voices caught the attention of the Kokomo Police officer assigned to the meeting, though intervention wasn’t needed. As Stewart left again, he said something to Plough while Davis tried to defray the tension. Plough responded, red-faced.

“Yeah, we’re done!” said Plough, clearly referring to more than the conversation.

The confrontation ended, but it was obvious that the matter wasn’t resolved. And neither was the traffic around Chick-fil-A.

Multiple council members later confirmed that Stewart issued an apology to them for the incident, attempting to mitigate further unrest.