Shelton McDonald's Plans Approved By Planning & Zoning Commission

SHELTON, CT — After months of discussion, the Planning and Zoning Commission approved plans for a proposed McDonald's restaurant at 6 Todd Road in Shelton during a meeting Wednesday.

The plan was approved by a vote of 5-1, with only Commissioner James Tickey remaining opposed.

Tickey had previously voiced his disapproval of the plan and recently reiterated his stance during the commission's April 10 meeting.

"I'm not in support, but I've gone on the record with that," Tickey said, "and I think you have enough folks willing to support it."

Plans for the new fast food restaurant were first submitted to the city in December by Avon-based Six Todd Road LLC, calling for construction of a 3,690-square-foot single restaurant with a two-lane drive thru and 37 parking spaces.

The first public hearing on the McDonald's plans took place in February and continued into May.

See also:

• Shelton McDonald's Moves Closer To Reality After Further P&Z Discussion
  
• McDonald's Drive-Thru Plans Lead To Traffic Concerns From Shelton P&Z
• Plans Submitted For New McDonalds Restaurant In Shelton

According to the Shelton Herald, the vacant land on the corner of Todd and Platt roads is currently owned by Manuel Moutinho. In recent years, the land has become overgrown and home to homeless encampments.

During the commission's Feb. 21 meeting, Tickey noted it was previously "a dealbreaker to have any sort of a drive-thru" at the site for some commissioners during initial discussions of the original plan for the land in 2021.

"We talked about Todd Road, the access road that it is, and we're really concerned about the traffic that it would create," Tickey said. "Let's not kid ourselves, this McDonald's is going to be jamming. There are other places in town where we've heard it's not going to be busy and then it is, very much so, especially with drive-thrus."

He also noted during that meeting the plans were very different compared to what was initially explored for the site in 2021.

"It's a major deviation from what we previously approved," Tickey said, "and we only approved it when we were told there would never be a drive-thru.

While there are a number of McDonald's restaurants in the nearby communities of Trumbull, Derby, Monroe, Milford, Orange and West Haven, the fast food chain does not currently operate a location in Shelton.

If built, the new restaurant would add to the state's growing roster of McDonald's locations. According to a special report by 24/7 Wall St., the globally popular fast food brand operated just over 140 McDonald's restaurants in Connecticut as of 2021.

Restaurant Business reports the fast food chain opened six new restaurants in the U.S. in 2022 and finished the year with six more than it had at the end of 2021, something the company had not done since 2014.

The company also indicated plans to build more McDonald's restaurants both in the U.S. and globally in 2023. Though the company peaked at 14,350 locations in the U.S. in 2014, it closed over 900 restaurants between that year and the end of 2021, according to Restaurant Business.

A video of the full Planning and Zoning Commission meeting on May 22 can be viewed here.