McDonald's Plan to Go Before Zoning Board

Fairlawn's Board of Zoning Appeals will meet at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 21 to discuss a proposed McDonald's at the corner of at the corner of Shiawassee Avenue and West Market Street.

The meeting will take place in City Council chambers at City Hall.

The proposed McDonald's became a hot topic when nearby residents protested the traffic and litter the eatery may generate on their streets.

About 35 Fairlawn residents, most from Shiawassee and adjoining streets, attended a public meeting Feb. 26, where franchise owner John Blickle explained that the fast food restaurant would not increase traffic or crime in the area.

"We do not generate traffic," Blickle told the crowd at the Fairlawn Kiwanis Community Center. "We live off the existing (passing) traffic."

Blickle, whose company, Rubber City Arches, owns 20 area McDonald's restaurants, also said his businesses are kept neat and clean, and do not increase crime in a neighborhood.

But a number of residents say they don't want a fast food restaurant in their neighborhood and vowed to fight the project.

McDonald's proposed a 4,500-square-foot restaurant in November, but the Planning Commission tabled the request after more than 50 residents protested. 

A week later, Larsen Architects asked the BZA to table two variances for the project -- a 0.57-acre variance from the minimum lot size requirement of 1.5 acres and a 25-foot minimum parking set back variance to allow 6.8-foot setback from West Market and 7-foot setback from Shiawassee Avenue.

Both of those variances are on the BZA agenda for March 21.