Restaurants & Bars
Another McDonald's May Come To Darien Area
Neighbors fear the traffic tie-ups. The restaurant is planned for Woodridge, just outside the Darien city limit.
WOODRIDGE, IL – You may have another place to get a Big Mac in the Darien area, but neighbors are opposed to the plan for a new McDonald's.
The McDonald's would be at 1335 75th St. in Woodridge, just beyond the Darien city limit.
It would be southeast of 75th Street and Dunham Road, in front of the Woodgrove Festival shopping center, which includes Kohl's and the Hollywood Blvd Cinema.
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The 4,000-square-foot restaurant would feature a dual-lane drive-thru.
In December, the Woodridge Plan Commission split 3-3 on the developer's proposal. The matter is set to go before the Village Board on May 30.
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A McDonald's-commissioned traffic study said access to the restaurant would be provided through the shopping center's access drive off Dunham and Lemont roads.
"The access system will be adequate to provide efficient access to the restaurant," said the study by Rosemont-based KLOA.
The study also said the current road system has "sufficient reserve capacity" to accommodate the traffic from the new restaurant.
However, residents south of the proposed McDonald's feel differently.
About 125 homes are on streets with no outlets other than Dunham Drive. Residents would drive by the McDonald's to access 75th Street.
In an interview, Cynthia Williams, who lives on nearby Golf View Drive, said the restaurant would create traffic bottlenecks and congestion.
"It will thwart residents' ability to exit and enter their homes off of Dunham Road," she said.
She said she understands that economic development is important, but she said officials needed to consider the burden to the community.
Another resident, Chet Szerlag, said the proposed restaurant is unpopular among neighbors. He said it would cause a serious traffic choke point.
"There’s also the issue of how much 'fast food' is enough?" Szerlag, a former Woodridge trustee, said in an email Patch. "Within a 1/4 mile of the proposed location at 75th & Dunham, there are eight fast food/drive-thru outlets, not counting the six or more dine-in eateries."
Both Williams and Szerlag also expressed concerns about stormwater as a result of the planned development.
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