Marple McDonald's Looking to Remodel Existing Site

BROOMALL–Representatives from leading fast food chain McDonald's and the came before at a work session meeting on Feb. 6 to seek a proposed resolution of approval for their preliminary final land development plan at next Monday's regular meeting.

The application seeks to remodel the existing site off of West Chester Pike/Route 3 and Sproul Road in Broomall as part of the fast food chain's nationwide re-imaging campaign.

"This is what they call their major remodel," said Christen Pionzio, of Hamburg Rubin Mullin Maxwell & Lupin, representing the Broomall McDonald's. "What this program entails is a re-branding of McDonald's entirely. It allows for ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) upgrade–it's inside and outside the building–this building would be completely gutted with a new interior design."

According to Pionzio, McDonald's is changing their image from their well-known image as a fast food restaurant to more of a "casual dining" restaurant which has already been seen at some with their McCafé's.

What Will Be Remodeled at the Broomall Site

The application calls to reduce the impervious surface on the site, add more landscaping around the perimeter of the restaurant. In addition, the plan proposes to add another drive-thru lane, making that two side-by-side drive-thru lanes with two menu boards and speakers at the Broomall location.

"It allows for customers to be serviced at the same time," said Pionzio. "At this facility, the drive-thru business is about 72 percent. So it's not about attracting new customers, it's about better serving the existing ones."

The new side-by-side drive-thru design will force drivers coming from Sproul Road to circulate through a channel around the building, which provides "better circulation for us and more efficient customer service to get rid of all this back up..." said Pionzio.

By adding on more landscaping to the site, the parking lot will lose seven spaces but Pionzio stated that the site will still be five spaces over the required 42.

Preliminary Final Plan Addresses Planning Commission's Concerns

Pionzio also addressed some of the concerns that were previously brought up by the Planning Commission. One concern involved noise and the setback of the two drive-thru lanes which would make them closer towards its residential neighbors.

More landscaping would be added towards the northern portion of the site, behind the drive-thru lanes, on the residential border to create a buffer. In addition to the existing 6-foot wall and existing landscaping, Pionzio said McDonald's will be committed to "beefing that up."

In regards to the new drive-thru design, Michael Jeitner, of Bohler Engineering and the engineering representative for the application, stated that the additional lighting from the menu boards would not be seen from the residential side of the site and the volume for the speakers to take customers' orders could be reduced.

Another concern related to traffic congestion and the location of the dumpster, which has been moved from the back of the site to the side of the site. Left turns made from Sproul Road to the McDonald's site was also addressed.

"Those left-ins are important for the customer base, they're important for our trucks, but we did discuss with your engineer putting a sign there to say that driveway could not be used during our peak morning and evening hours to prevent people from making left-ins at that time," said Pionzio to the commissioners. A no left-turn sign has been proposed between the hours of 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Township Manager Anthony Hamaday also raised the concern of the site's delivery trucks that have caused traffic congestion on previous occasions, in which it was addressed that the restaurant could refuse delivery from the trucks.

For stormwater management concerns, Pionzio said, in addition to reducing the impervious surface on the site, the plan will add water quality filters.

What's Next For the Remodeling Application Process

After the presentation for the remodeling of the Broomall McDonald's, First Ward Commissioner Joe Rufo shared that he was still uncomfortable with having two drive-thru lanes.

"That one lane is awfully close to residential...I think we need to take our time on this," said Rufo. "I'm sorry to say that...but we have a lot to think about here."

But Commissioners President Michael Molinaro, of the Sixth Ward, stated that many of the issues that were raised during the meeting were not new issues and have existed since when the site was formerly the Sizzler and Phillips66.

"I think they're improving–for the lack of a better term–the issues that were grandfathered in," said Molinaro.

The Board will go out to full vote on approving the preliminary final land development application on conditional resolutions at Feb. 13th's regular meeting.

Hoping for a timely process, the owner of the restaurant shared that he hoped to open the newly remodeled site by mid- to end of April of this year. The construction will take approximately six to seven weeks in which the whole store may be closed for one week during this time.

The application will also have to go before the township's Zoning Hearing Board for approval of four more signs to the four existing at the site already–including signs for menu boards, order boards, clearance signs for large vehicles in the drive-thru lanes–that the plan calls for, all of which will be approximately 72 square feet or about a 60 square foot reduction in overall signs on the property due to the restaurant's new re-imaging campaign.