McDonald’s Requests Special Permit for Broadway Drive-Through Window-September 2, 1987

An attorney representing the McDonald’s restaurant located at 32 Broadway in Norwood Center appeared before the Zoning Board of Appeal to request a special permit for the installation of a drive-through window. If approved, it would become the fourth drive-through facility established at local fast-food establishments following a contentious town meeting vote in May that sought to ban all drive-through windows except in areas zoned for manufacturing and limited manufacturing.

Addressing Traffic, Noise, and Litter Concerns

Louis Beigbeder, attorney for McDonald’s, argued before the board that adding a drive-through window to the Broadway location would not generate significant traffic congestion, increased litter, or disruptive loudspeaker noise—common objections raised by residents against drive-through operations. Notably, none of the 20 notified neighboring property owners attended the public hearing. The board scheduled a site tour for Saturday, with a formal decision expected later in the month.

Beigbeder outlined the operational specifics of the proposed expansion:

• Parking Capacity: While municipal zoning laws require 19 parking spaces for the restaurant, the lot will maintain 61 spaces.
• Traffic Studies: A 1982 traffic consultant report commissioned by McDonald’s indicated that a drive-through window would have a negligible impact on local traffic. Furthermore, a fresh traffic study was initiated following the installation of new traffic lights last month at the intersection of Broadway and Nahatan Street, with results expected in two weeks.
• Physical Expansion: A 220-square-foot addition will be constructed to house the drive-through system, featuring a dual-station setup where customers pay at one window and pick up food at the second. The queuing lane is engineered to accommodate nine to ten waiting vehicles without spilling traffic onto the public roadway.
• Noise and Litter Mitigation: Beigbeder assured the board that loudspeaker noise would be minimized because the ordering speaker will face the railroad tracks behind the restaurant rather than adjacent properties. Litter will be controlled through strategically placed trash receptacles and diligent groundskeeping by trained staff.

Background on Town Policy and Drive-Through Expansion

The McDonald’s at 32 Broadway—originally constructed in 1968—previously attempted to build a drive-through window in 1983, but was blocked by the Board of Selectmen under a longstanding local policy against drive-throughs. However, selectmen shifted their stance this spring following the conclusion of a year-long court battle that forced the town to drop its blanket ban.

That legal shift opened the floodgates for drive-through installations across town:

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger