New Maccas restaurant’s whopper of a traffic problem

Residents say a plan to squeeze a 24-hour Maccas on a controversial Brisbane westside site is a traffic disaster waiting to happen.

A proposal to build a 24-hour McDonald's Restaurant in Sherwood would create a traffic nightmare, residents say. Picture: Russell Shakespeare

Angry residents fear a plan to build a 24-hour, seven day a week McDonald’s restaurant on a controversial site off Sherwood Rd is a recipe for traffic accidents.

A development application lodged on January 6 says 200 customers an hour will use the Maccas.

The DA also involves another, yet to be named, fast food outlet at the Lahey Cl block.

Councillor Nicole Johnston (Tennyson) said the intersection of Lahey Cl and Sherwood Rd was never designed for high volumes of traffic and the proposal was a major safety risk.

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“An extra 200 car movements an hour is dangerous and will further add to traffic congestion in Sherwood,’’ Cr Johnston said.

“Sherwood and Oxley roads are already over capacity and this intersection was never constructed with proper sight lines.

“The proposal also fails to comply with minimum parking requirements, minimum setbacks and a number of other issues.

“There are only 22 car parks when there is supposed to be 50.’’

Cr Johnston said there were already five otherMcDonald’s restaurant within a 2-3km radius.

But the DA argued that the 50 space rule did not take into account that many customers would use the drive through.

“If parking is full and drive-through is busy, customers may have no other option than to go elsewhere,’’ it said.

Cr Nicole Johnston. Picture: AAP/Richard Walker

The DA conceded the traffic light at the intersection would have to be changed to turn green after 100 seconds, but would still cause traffic delays of 25 seconds and affect buses.

But it said as the buses were travelling to or from the depot, passenger timetables would not be affected.

Residents have flooded the Chelmer/Graceville Community Facebook page about the plan.

Jane Hegarty wrote: “Aldi was denied permission due to traffic concerns so I wouldn’t hold my breath about this getting through.’’

Rhiannon Coen posted: “We need small business to come into this area, not fast food.’’

But several residents said they supported the proposal.

Cr Johnston has launched an e-petition opposing the DA, which closes on February 3.

Planners Urbis said in its DA application that access was not proposed off Sherwood Rd, but off Lahey Cl.

“As the proposed development is not for an industrial use, the reduction in canopy and larger tree specimens is considered appropriate due to reduced bulk and scale,’’ it said.

“Similarly, the proposal requires sightlines from Sherwood Rd to enhance wayfinding to the site.

“As such, a heavily landscaped frontage would not be appropriate for the proposal.”

The property, the last lot of a much larger site which Council earlier sold, has been the source of controversy for years.

It originally contained warehouses, but they burned down.

Council later built a bus depot there but had to raise the site after it flooded.

It sold part of the land and a storage facility was constructed and, in March last year, the last of two residential unit complexes was approved.

Cr Johnston has fought the various developments since 2008.

Details of the DA can be found on Council’s online development application portal, pdonline, by searching for application A005364456