Minor variance approved to allow McDonalds on Broadway

Jeff Helsdon, Editor

A minor variance for a McDonalds restaurant on north Broadway was approved by council with amendments after neighbouring residents raised concerns.

The application from McDonalds Restaurants Canada was for relief from a bylaw restricting the restaurant's queue spaces from abutting a residential zone at 693 Broadway. The 1.1-acre property currently contains a single-family dwelling.

Council heard the application at its Feb. 21 meeting, where planner Amy Hartley explained the proposed design is for a drive-through wrapping around the building. She recommended a 2.4-meter noise barrier on the west and rear property lines to mitigate the noise. She also noted that the lights from the restaurant shouldn’t be an issue once the walls are up.

Mayor Deb Gilvesy pointed out members of council have received a lot of complaints from neighbours about the A & W restaurant, and said the bylaw is there for a reason.

Coun. Chris Rosehart agreed that there have been many complaints about A & W.

“Once you get the lights up, you’ll have light pollution in the backyards of all those people,” she said.

Hartley explained the lights will be facing in towards the restaurant, and the wall will block any ambient light.

“There’s not anticipated to be any light pollution onto these properties,” she said.

While Rosehart said the street lights illuminate her entire yard, Hartley said the future restaurant's lights are professionally designed and more directional.

Gilvesy raised a concern about the menu boards, noting they are bright, and asked about their height. Hartley said the menu boards wouldn’t be eight feet tall.

Rosehart said the drive-through speaker at A & W can be heard six houses down on Allen Street. Hartley said the speaker system at McDonalds will have automatic volume control that decreases the volume at night.

The debate continued, with Rosehart asking about delivery trucks at 2:30 in the morning. Hartley admitted the noise study did not address this, but said trucks are on an infrequent basis.

Gilvesy also asked more about the noise.

“There is still some noise, the sound barrier won’t mitigate all the noise, correct?” she asked, to which Hartley said the provincial Ministry of the Environment provides noise guidelines.

Coun. Chris Parker argued it’s possible some of the neighbours work in shifts and may sleep during the day. He asked about sound mitigation during daytime hours.

“Stopping the noise completely, I don’t think, is possible,” she said.

Coun. Kelly Spencer asked for examples of where sound barriers were used, and Hartley said it does help, citing railways.

Resident D.J. Renaud, who lives near the proposed restaurant, said backyards in the condos are only about 25 feet. He estimated backyards on the properties next to A & W are 60 to 70 feet deep.

“We’re in a worse situation with this proposition,” he said.

Mark Taylor, who lives next to Renaud, raised a concern about the constant smell of fast food. He also asked where the dumpsters would be placed and how rodents would be controlled.

Gilvesy explained that this application was only for zoning, and that the placement of garbage bins would be dealt with under site plan control.

Coun. Kelly Spencer moved Hartley’s suggested motion to approve the variance with a 2.4-meter wall. She added that she knows people who live behind similar walls next to a highway, and they say it makes a difference.

“The wall is the major game-changer here, it may even help mitigate the noise from the cars along the highway,” Spencer said.

She accepted a suggested amendment from Rosehart to raise the wall to address noise from refrigeration units on delivery trucks.

Gilvesy maintained that the bylaw was there for a reason and asked whether there was a traffic study. Hartley said the Ministry of Transportation has no issues with the proposal.

The application was approved by a split vote, with a 10-foot wall.