Neighbors in Colorado's Castle Pines speak out against proposed McDonald's ahead of city council meeting
A 24-hour McDonald's is proposed to come to Castle Pines, but some residents aren't happy about it.
Back in March, neighbors showed up in droves to the planning commission's meeting to speak out against the proposal. The commission denied the application, but now the issue has been appealed to the city council.
Castle Pines North HOA No. 1 President, and former City Council member, Doug Gilbert doesn't want to see the golden arches glowing near his home.
"You could put this about half a mile to the east and it would be very consistent with where we are at as a community, but in this particular location it's the wrong thing at the wrong place," said Gilbert.
The fast food chain's proposed location is in the soon-to-be-developed "Parkway Plaza," near Castle Pines Parkway and Lagae Road. The city previously had stake in two lots there.
Neither corporate McDonald's nor the applicant have responded to a request for comment, but the proposal is for a nearly 3,700-square foot, 24-hour McDonald's with two drive-through lanes.
"When we asked them where their business would come from, they said 'oh, 75% of it will come from I-25,'" said Gilbert.
Gilbert says the location is close to neighborhoods, a city park, and two charter schools. He says access is limited and it could lead to congestion and safety concerns.
"We've obviously worked to have some of the breakfast restaurants and things that are more suitable to what we want to have as a nice community in the suburbs and not something as we call it a truck stop community," said Gilbert.
Besides traffic, Gilbert worries about crime and litter.
"We already have quite a bit of trash on the streets from some of our existing fast food restaurants and we think when it's right here it's going to be even more," said Gilbert.
Gilbert says 500 residents signed an online petition against the McDonald's, and dozens showed up to the March 28 planning commission meeting.
"We showed up in mass to the planning commission meeting and the planning commission heard us," said Gilbert.
After the commission rejected the proposal 5-2, the City of Castle Pines says McDonald's appealed the issue to the city council.
Now Gilbert is rallying the troops for the upcoming meeting.
"We need to show up in mass at the city council and make our voices heard," said Gilbert.
The city council will discuss this during their May 28 meeting, starting at 6 p.m. The meeting will include public comment.
Gilbert expects more neighbors to attend this meeting than the planning commission one.
If the city council reverses the planning commission's decision, the applicant will move on with the permitting process, but Gilbert says he won't stop fighting, and he wants more methods for citizens' voices to be heard on issues like this.
