McDonald’s again absent from planning and zoning

By
Doug Miner
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5
82
McDonald's sign, from the site plans.

A residential office (live/work) at 7243 Southwest is the only item on the Maplewood Planning and Zoning Commission agenda for the Monday meeting. McDonald’s is absent.

McDonald’s asked for a continuance before last month’s meeting, and now, for the second month in a row, has not taken the first step with the city in order to build a restaurant on the southwest corner of Manchester and Big Bend.

McDonald’s representatives met with residents next to the proposed development in a December meeting that didn’t go well for the restaurant. The neighbors weren’t happy with the plan to remove two houses, or anything else that would come with having a busy fast-food restaurant at the end of the street.

McDonald’s real estate manager, Tom Maraist, said they needed extra time to respond to concerns following the meeting and asked for a continuance before the January planning and zoning meeting, where it was originally scheduled, then pulled out.

Maraist didn’t respond immediately respond to a question regarding when they might be ready to go before planning and zoning.

 

5 COMMENTS

  1. Is it possible that Mcdonald’s is the “restaurant interest” that is acquiring property at Folk and Big Bend and they have abandoned the Big Bend/Manchester location

  2. I hate to nitpick here, but the word “bypass” seems to imply that McDonald’s is attempting to go around or subvert the development process. From what I’ve read here and elsewhere, that’s not the case. Can you please address this point or revise accordingly? Thanks Doug.

  3. While it’s possible, I wouldn’t bet on McDonald’s pulling out of the hunt for that location. I would think that they had already done their due diligence before getting to where they are now, and have decided that they want to be there. I can only imagine that they have run up against other opposition in other areas before, and have some type of tactic to handle it. They didn’t get to where they are now (billions and billions served) by letting human beings get in their way of their corporate objectives (think Stan Kroenke here,) For those who don’t want a MD’s in that spot, I wouldn’t let your guard down yet, in fact I’d use this time to continue to galvanize opposition….before it’s too late.

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