McDonald's Variance Requests Rejected by Woodstock Council

Several variance requests from McDonald's that drew the ire of adjacent homeowners was rejected by the Woodstock City Council on Monday.

The council unanimously rejected requests from the company to:

• increase the maximum building setback line from 18.0' to 46.66' from the sidewalk.
• reduce the minimum building frontage cover from 60% to 37.9% along the build to line. 
• allow parking along side with building frontage area of 37.9% while providing 52" high evergreen hedge to screen side parking from Ridgewalk Parkway.
• increase the maximum impervious area from 70% to 72%. 

The council approved requests to increase the number of allowed drive-thru menu boards from one to two and to increase the allowed menu board area on each menu board from 30 square feet to 43.9 square feet; and from a height of 6' to 6'-9" as measured from the ground. 

McDonald's has plans to build a restaurant on Outparcel 3, which sits on the southwest corner of the main driveway to the Outlet Shoppes at Atlanta and Ridgewalk Parkway. The parcel is owned by Horizon Group Properties, the developer of the Outlet Shoppes at Atlanta. 

McDonald would be not accessible from Ridgewalk Parkway, so customers would only be allowed to enter from a street inside the outlet mall development, said Woodstock Community Development Director Jessica Guinn.

That would have required customers to circle the restaurant twice--once to get in the drive-thru line and, once they pay and receive their food, to exit from the parcel, Guinn added.  

The council heard from five residents from the Meridian at Ridgewalk neighborhood, who all were against McDonald's request.

Councilman Chris Casdia noted he felt the variance requests were "drastic" and were not in line with the vision the city council has for the Ridgewalk area. 

Council members also held the first reading of an amendments to its solicitation ordinance, which allows for a process for non-profit organizations to solicit on public rights-of-way.

The changes also establishes a permit process for those who wish to partake in the solicitations, prohibits anyone under the age of 18 from performing charitable solicitations, restricts solicitation to occur between 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and for those to visibly display the organization they are soliciting for.

Permits, which will be available at no cost, that are issued would be valid for seven days.

The changes were suggested when a member of the Knights of Columbus Council 11768, based out of St. Michael The Archangel Catholic Church in Woodstock, was told they could not solicit to collect donations in the right-of-way. 

The city in 2011 passed an ordinance that banned solicitation in all public rights-of-way, including those done by charities. 

The ordinance was in response to traveling youth sports teams that were seen soliciting in the right-of-way on Highway 92 near its intersection with Trickum Road.

The council also approved budget amendments to allow for the purchase of signs for the Downtown Spur and Noonday Creek trails, which is set to cost $56,054.20.

City Manager Jeff Moon notified the council he approved an emergency purchase to replace a pump at the Waste Water Treatment Plant for $32,907.   

The council met in executive session to discuss real estate, personnel and litigation, but took no action upon returning. 

Council member Randy Brewer was not present.

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