Greenslopes McDonald’s plan next to GP clinic angers doctors, neighbours

A southside GP clinic says its doctors will have to counsel patients about the importance of eating well with the smell of fries wafting through the air if a 24-hour McDonald’s project is approved.

A plan to build a McDonald's restaurant on the site of a health services cluster in Greenslopes has angered some neighbours.

A Greenslopes GP clinic owner fears his practice will become an “island’’ next to a 24-hour McDonald’s restaurant, with his seven doctors forced to counsel patients on healthy eating while the smell of fries wafts through the air.

About 40 submissions have so far been lodged, most of them against the plan and most citing concerns about traffic and the impact on the clinic and adjacent health services.

A decision by Council officers is due in a week.

However two residents welcomed the proposal, while planners Place Design Group said in the development application (DA) that the project would have no significant impact on traffic.

Developer Capital Transactions Pty Ltd also substantially changed the design after feedback from Council at a meeting in December 2021, including Council concerns that raising the site might worsen flood impacts on surrounding property owners.

It also increased setbacks from neighbouring properties, improved landscaping and rubbish collection and made other changes.

Artist's impression of the proposed McDonald's.

Greenslopes Family Practice (GFP) owner Dragan Talic said he had “proudly operated from the little house on Plimsoll St for the past 20 years’’.

“We are a very busy doctor-owned practice, providing a wide range of care for our patient base of over 3000 people, from young families to our eldest patient who is 96.

“This number continues to grow due to the increasing pressures on the health and hospital systems.

“This development, in which GFP will become an island among McDonald’s, comes at a time when access to good GP care is already under threat on a number of fronts.’’

Dr Talic said he was concerned about noise during construction and the ability of emergency services and elderly or disabled patients to access the practice.

He was also worried about ongoing noise, access and other impacts.

“At this stage we are unsure of the ongoing viability of Greenslopes Family Practice if the development proceeds,’’ he said.

“It’s hard to imagine our doctors counselling our patients about obesity, diabetes and heart disease while the smell of burgers and fries wafts across the (practice) building,’’ he said.

Residents said in their submissions that there were already five McDonald’s restaurants in a 5km radius as well as a KFC, Subway, Noodle Box, Baskin Robbins and Dominos nearby in Greenslopes, plus a Pizza Hut and another Dominos at Holland Park.

“This is plenty and convenient enough for people who live in the immediate area,’’ one wrote.

Google StreetView image of Plimsoll St, which residents say is already choked with traffic.

However, most objections were about traffic concerns, particularly on the Plimsoll St and Logan Rd intersection.

One 30-year resident of Plimsoll St said it had become “busier and busier’’ and children often rode their bikes down the hill, which they were concerned was a potential safety risk.

The proposed McDonald’s was also near Greenslopes Mall, a major traffic generator.

“Plimsoll St already suffers from significant traffic congestion due to the car park entrance for

Greenslopes Mall, which would be directly opposite the proposed entrance to this development,’’ one resident wrote in a submission.

“The traffic would become a huge bottle neck for anyone turning into Plimsoll St from either

direction off Logan Rd.

Aerial view of the development site.

“In addition, Greenslopes Mall has two important and busy bus stops on either side of Logan Rd, both of which could be impacted by the additional traffic and bottlenecks from this development.’’

But a traffic report included in the DA said 26 carparks would be provided, three more than required by Council.

There would be space on site for two cars to queue, plus queuing space for another 10 cars in the drive-through.

A traffic study on March 24 at the corner of Logan Rd and Plimsoll St, conducted from 6am to 6pm, showed only an extra 36 car movements would be added in the morning peak period and in the afternoon peak period, resulting in an “insignificant impact on the surrounding road network’’.

Access to the 450 sqm project would be via a single left in/left out turn from Logan Rd, but a rear access from Plimsoll St would be created as part of a future development.