Is an Olive Garden Really Coming to Commercial Drive in New Hartford?

I moved to Central New York seven years ago.  And I believe one of the first things I remember hearing about the area is that "Utica will be getting an Olive Garden really soon."  It's one of the best perpetual rumors in the area.  So is it finally true, is an Olive Garden really coming to the Utica area?

The Utica Observer Dispatch this afternoon reported on Facebook that the New Hartford town planning board will consider a proposal from a developer at their next meeting.

The reaction on their Facebook page was, not surprising to me, mixed.  Part of me understands the argument about Olive Garden not being local.  However, the developer, franchisee, and rank-and-file employees would all be local.  The dollars paid to build, staff and maintain the restaurant would all be going back into the local economy.  Plus, the chain wouldn't have hundreds of other locations if the food wasn't good.

Check out a sampling of the comments made on the O-D's facebook page and give me your thoughts about the proposed Olive Garden:  Yeah or Nay?