Mr. Edward Ploski, representing McDonald’s Corporation, is seeking Conditional Use / Major Site Plan Modification approval for the construction of a 4,490 square foot McDonald’s fast food restaurant and associated site improvements at 1701 S. Congress Avenue, directly across South Congress Avenue from its shared location in the Marathon gas station.

The proposed new location is part of a larger site (4.945-acre), which was originally approved in 2002 for a Walgreens building and attached 4,800 square feet of retail/office space on the north end of the property abutting Woolbright Road as Phase I, and a future Phase II consisting a 4 story, 40,000 square foot retail/office building on the southern portion of the site. As part of the construction of the Walgreens building, the remainder of the site work was completed, including all landscaping, lighting, parking, drainage, and the building pad in preparation for the Phase II building. With the 107,000 square foot Woolbright Corporate Center built on the property immediately to the south and the 79,000 square foot Woolbright Professional Building constructed one block to the east, the demand for additional office space in the immediate vicinity apparently was not warranted and the Phase II parcel has continued to sit vacant.

Staff has reviewed the requests and recommends approval, subject to the attached Conditions of Approval. The Planning & Development Board reviewed the request at their September 25, 2018 meeting and recommends denial.