Courtney Sacco | AnnArbor.com
McDonald’s, at 3811 Carpenter Road just north of Ellsworth, is requesting a conditional use permit and site plan approval to reconfigure its drive-thru from a one-menu board to a two-menu board. Modifications to a drive-thru require a conditional use permit.
Plans also call to reduce the overall on-site parking spaces from 39 to 36, increase landscaping and make facade improvements to the building.
“McDonald’s indicates two drive-thru ordering boards is fast, thus allowing them to expedite the ordering and food delivery process,” a Pittsfield Township planning report says.
A second ordering board also is in the works for the McDonald's at 16 Ecorse Road in Ypsilanti.
The restaurant submitted an original site plan in August 2012, but plans were modified at the request of Pittsfield Township officials. Officials suggested the restaurant consider removing its main Carpenter Road entrance due to safety concerns. (Read more)
Issues cited by the township included: cars turning left into the site from Carpenter Road, cars turning left out of the site to Carpenter Road, cars driving over the curb to exit and enter the adjacent Red Robin site, cars going against the one way drive-aisle adjacent to the drive-thru.
Courtesy of Pittsfield Township
The restaurant’s new site plan does not call to remove the main entrance from Carpenter Road. Instead, the applicant had a traffic analysis prepared and resubmitted the plan with all access points remaining. The proposal calls to extend the Carpenter Road curb cut traffic island and add landscaping and boulders between the Red Robin site to prevent cars from driving over the curb.
Courtesy of Pittsfield Township
The township’s planning report says the modifications are only a “partial solution.” It says the applicant should eliminate the Carpenter Road curb cut or provide an alternative solution.
“We believe that the increased activity of the dual drive-thru without further addressing the Carpenter Road access will increase on-site traffic issue,” the report says.
The township report is recommending approval of the conditional land use permit contingent on changes to the site plan.
Also on the Pittsfield Township Planning Commission agenda:
- A conditional use permit submitted by the Meijer store on Carpenter Road that would allow temporary outdoor plant sales
- An amendment to the State Street Business Park PUD that would allow the construction of an indoor recreation facility on the northern portion of the site
Pittsfield Township Planning Commission will consider these requests at its 6:30 p.m. meeting on Thursday, May 16.
Lizzy Alfs is a business reporter for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at 734-623-2584 or email her at lizzyalfs@annarbor.com. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/lizzyalfs.