McDonald’s will be in front of the township Zoning Hearing Board Thursday to seek a variance for a restaurant it hopes to build in the Village at Newtown East shopping center. The hearing was scheduled for the board’s February meeting but the applicant requested it be continued.

The Zoning Hearing Board meeting starts at 7:30 at the township Administration Building.

McDonald’s is seeking zoning relief to exceed the driveway aisle width requirement for a 3,911 square-foot restaurant with drive-through window. 

In December, the township Planning Commission recommended against granting the variance. 

The township’s ordinance requires all cart ways to be a minimum of 25 feet in width. McDonald’s is seeking to construct a drive-through window aisle that’s 18 feet. 

Planning Commission members said they feared car staking around the drive-through lane will create circulation problems if the variance is granted.

“It’s the wrong size site for the type of use and operation you’re proposing,” commission Chairman Allen Fidler told the applicant in December. “It just doesn’t fit and your request for zoning relief demonstrates that in my mind very clearly.”