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McDonald's to Make Improvements
Are they enough to meet Abington standards?
The owner/operator of the McDonald's franchise along Old York Road in Abington presented plans to regrade the property between Roy and Chester Avenues. They presented their proposal to the Planning Commission on Wednesday November 17 in an evening packed with controversial issues.
The conclusion of the meeting was a preliminary approval to proceed with a number of conditions to be met. One of those conditions was to reconsider the orientation, so that the side of the building facing Old York Road looks like a front. As part of that critique Planning Commission member Harold Lichtman stated that the layout of the property was designed around the drive-through experience, rather than how pedestrians would approach the building from the parking lot. There is no obvious front to the design presented and the Board concluded that it was not attractive.
Given that McDonald's intends to tear down the beautiful stone wall at Chester Avenue & Old York Road, the team should consider a stone facade to respect the character of the neighborhood. The following three buildings recently constructed under the authority of McDonald's use three different types of stone. These are clear precedents that cannot be ignored:
These existing structures meet identity and architectural standards of McDonald's and the organization has also demonstrated an ability to adapt to the local environment. One factor that is important to any modern fast-food facility is the ability to move traffic-through the drive-through. Another factor is the ability to have an obvious front facade that respects the neighborhood. The organization approved the construction of this facility in Tallahassee, FL and it also meets the standards described above:
Several neighbors spoke about the traffic problems that partrons of McDonald's and Dunkin' Donuts cause throughout the day – most intense during morning rush hour. The team from McDonald's was asked to reconsider this issue and staff from Abington Township indicated they would evaluate the entrance to Dunkin' Donuts and see what improvements could be made.
The Board of Commissioners asked the McDonald's team to improve the aethetics of the facade. The present design is primarily brick with accents of a lighter material that appeared to be stucco and several people commented that it look institutional and uninviting. The team indicated that this is what McDonald's corporate had developed in a think-tank and they did not have much to contribute to the choices.
Sources and Links:
http://alt.coxnewsweb.com/cnishared/tools/shared/mediahub/04/45/03/slideshow_503454_mcdonalds.0420_11.JPG
http://www.urbantallahassee.com/v4/images/stories/updates/Jan3109/NE%20Jan3109%20016.jpg
http://www.limestone-resources.com.au/images/image-com-b05.jpg
http://www.weckesserbrick.com/images/commercial_17.jpg
http://www.nextgenerationfood.com/media/media-news/news-thumb/091124/mcdonalds.jpg
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RV09PkGFN1Y/SrFHaZzKqsI/AAAAAAAAAAM/KvGyJbbvQMk/s320/McDonalds+Houston.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3047/2867705468_aa3ac6277a.jpg?v=0
3 comments by Members are their personal opinions (see RMCA policies)
A public hearing has been set for Thursday, December 9,2010 at 8 pm for requiring the issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy prior to sale of resale of a residential dwelling. My question is what does this mean to me as a homeowner selling my house. Since the buyer usually gets the homeinspection prior to the sale, is this in lieu of this inspection or just another layer.
Just another layer.
Prior to occupancy, either through a purchase settllement or through signing a lease, a certificate of occupancy would need to be obtained through the Township's Fire Marshall's office. This certificate would be issued upon satisfying the three criteria under the ordinance. The three items the inspector will be looking for are working smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors and house address numbers visible from the street. The ordinance is clear that these are the only items the inspector can evaluate.
There is a cost for this inspection, $50. The Fire Marshall's office believes with part time inspectors it can have these inspection done within one week of application submission.
Let me know if you have any other questions.
The stretch of Old York Road between Edge Hill and Welsh could go either way. If billboards are allowed, then urban blight creeps-in. If the stone wall is torn-down and the front-facing facade is not stone, then Abington loses it a little bit of its identity. The Owner/Operator of the McDonald's franchise is making a real effort, but the Planning Commission could be more specific about what it wants. These pictures might help.