Residents React to McDonald's Plans: 'It Just Doesn't Fit'

Several dozen people turned out Tuesday evening for the Newtown Township Planning Commission’s review of preliminary plans for a McDonald’s in the Village at Newtown East Shopping Center.

However, the commission took no action on the application. McDonald’s will be back before the commission for further review of the preliminary plans.

There are still several steps that must be taken before the plan can become a reality. In addition to land development approval, the applicant will need conditional use approval from the township for the fast food use.

The land development application, which was submitted in August, seeks to put a 3,911 square-foot fast food restaurant with a drive-through window on the site of Office Place East, a building adjacent to Wells Fargo Bank.

The plans call for a 58-seat restaurant with 41 dedicated parking spaces. That number of spaces is the requirement by township zoning laws and is based on a formula of one spot per two seats plus one per employee.

The plans also call for an entrance and exit to be constructed off Durham Road.

The existing building, which was formerly a medical office, is 6,900 square feet.

Several members of the commission expressed concerns about traffic and pedestrian safety on the site. Commission Vice Chairman Robert Whartenby said McDonald’s is a high intensity use for an area that already has a lot of restaurants.

“This is slowly becoming a food court. Traffic will always be an issue there, it’s not going to go away,” Whartenby said.

Several residents weighed in to express their concerns about traffic, safety and quality of life issues.

Fran Poole, president of the Cliveden Homeowner’s Association, said the location just isn’t right. Cliveden Estates is a neighborhood located across Durham Road from the proposed site.

“Our association is not against business. What we’re against is McDonald’s in this location. It just doesn’t fit,” Poole said.

Judy Norkin of the Cliveden Homeowner’s Association said that part of the shopping center already has traffic problems. “Why make it worse?"

“This is really just the wrong place. I would like this applicant to look for another property elsewhere,” Norkin said.

Resident John D’Aprile agreed the location isn’t right. “It just doesn’t fit. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t like going to Oxford Valley just to get my McRib. McDonald’s should be in Newtown, just not there,” he said.