We need a Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, etc. Not a poor quality fast food item. We must rise to our local paid off representatives and get what we want, not select businessmen who own the local politicians.

Nothing against McDonald's, but this is the wrong location. Find a spot that doesn't need a variance, for starters.

Newtown needs a McDonalds !

(Seemed there was an error while posting this comment):
I agree with Hank. Not disputing a company's general right to operate, but this is the *wrong* location for a McD's. "Not in my backyard", literally!

To clarify Kara's article:
- Besides the parties to the hearing, in attendance there was a group of residents, and a group of people wearing red McDonald's t-shirts. I suppose they *could* have been residents, but I didn't recognize any of them.
- "no residents chose to speak" because at the first break it was announced that the hearing would be continued, at which point public comment would be allowed.
- "as the hour wore on" - more like three hours!

So, I wonder aloud who the McD's supporters were? Other franchise operators (owner/operators)? Corporate reps? Prospective employees at this location?
They did sit very patiently and quietly hour after hour..

If they were there to give public comment, it seems their only purpose was to counter the residents - in the sense of drown them out. I state this because: while most of the residents left at the break when the continuance was announced, most of the McD's reps stayed. At the end of this first session of the hearing, the solicitor DID offer anyone a chance to comment at that time (even given the continuance) - but none of the McD's reps did so. If they do comment at the next session, then they are obviously there to simply counter the residents, or intimidate them, or whatever.

The interesting thing is that the McD's reps are even there. No one is disputing McD's right to operate in general. At the end the applicant's attorney thanked the McD's folks for showing support. Why would he have to?

None of the red-shirted McD's reps claimed party status.

I think this is a matter between the applicant, and the residents in whose backyards this fast food with drive-thru would fall.

At a prior meeting before the Township some McD's supporters mentioned McD's support for Ronald McDonald House, support of Little League, etc. All fantastic! And all *totally irrelevant* to this zoning matter!

I had dinner at "Friends" on Friday around 5:00 and the lot was PACKED, even without a McDonalds. I can't imagine the volume of traffic a new McDonald's would add but it would cause me to avoid the area completely and I'll just get my dinner someplace else. Surely the zoning board would see the same if they drove bye. And that's the point; zoning regulations exist for a reason, to insure quality of life and that current business owners aren't hurt by inappropriate over-development. Let McDonald find another location in Newtown, just not here.

Newtown does not "need" a McDonalds! This country has enough issues with unhealthy eating habits and obesity. Just recently McDonalds was called out for putting Ammonium Hydroxide (pink slime) in their food to decontaminate meat. Ammonium hydroxide is used throughout the fast-food industry as an anti-microbial agent so that otherwise “inedible meat” can be consumed. The chemical is also used in fertilizers, household cleaners, and homemade explosives. Their meat comes from so many different sources and parts of the animal who knows what you are eating- it's actually referred to as "scrap meat," the same quality used in dog food. Their fries are loaded with other chemicals, or "natural flavors," that make them taste the way they do. The lettuce that goes into their salads is sprayed with sugar and MSG. McDonalds is gross, unhealthy, and an unnecessary addition to Newtown! It's not food, it's poison.

The meeting is whether to allow a variance to the drive thru width. Question, what size is chick filet and wendy's drive thru

Why are we adding another fast food restaurant in the center of Newtown? Panera Bread and the Corner Bakery were options, now we are settling on this? Where are we, North East Philly, or Newtown? If you want to give yourself heart disease or gain more weight, supersize your Wendy's, a block away!

Corner Bakery has approval to utilize the former Blockbuster. The McDonald's is being proposed for a different site, a former medical office next to Wells Fargo.

Newtown does not need a McDonald's- this is totally ridiculous!