New McDonald's Gets 24-Hour Approval

The new restaurant is being built across from the Centre of New England on New London Turnpike.

The Town Council voted 4-1 Monday night in favor of granting a victualling (food serving) license with permission to operate 24 hours a day to a new McDonald's going up on New London Turnpike near the border with Coventry. Councilman Michael Kiernan was the dissenting vote. The owner of the McDonald's franchise, Peter Crisafi, Jr., told the Council he and his family operated four other McDonald's restaurants in Rhode Island. He stressed they were locally owned stores. "I love McDonalds, but we are a family-run business." Crisafi argued for the round-the-clock hours. "Why 24 hours?" he said. "Times have changed. We’re dinner for a lot of people who are working at night.... We’re quick, we’re easy. We’re on their way home. Or on their break…

•  13 Comments
• Photos (1)

Planning Board Decides Against Revisiting McDonald’s Decision

McDonald’s had hoped the board would reconsider a condition of a plan approved in December; members declined even as their solicitor said they could.

In a packed Town Hall conference room last Wednesday night, the Planning Board weighed whether or not it could reconsider one condition in an approval for a McDonald’s on New London Turnpike the board granted in December. After hearing from a variety of lawyers — including the developer’s lawyer, an opponent’s lawyer, the board’s lawyer and the three lawyers who happen to be members of the Planning Board itself — they decided not to reconsider. This came about even though the lawyer for the Planning Board, Christine Patterson, told members they did have the authority to reconsider their decision. “It’s crystal clear to me that you have the authority to reconsider this,” said Patterson. Although McDonald’s received plan approval in …

•  1 Comment
• Photos (2)

5 Things You Need To Know Today

Planning Board Reconsiders, HDC Hears & More

Five things you need to know about East Greenwich today, Feb. 8.

Planning Board meeting: McDonald’s has requested that the Planning Board reconsider a condition of its final plan approval for a proposed restaurant on New London Turnpike. The meeting is to be held in the first floor conference room at Town Hall at 7 p.m. Historic District meeting: The meeting begins at 6 p.m. in Town Council Chambers at Town Hall; the hearings (there are five on the agenda) begin at 6:30 p.m. New Neighbors meeting: The East Greenwich-Cowesett New Neighbors Club will meet from 9:30 to 11 a.m. at the East Greenwich United Methodist Church, 1558 South County Trail. This month, Debra Koziol, a representative from the American Heart Association, will share her story of how she survived sudden cardiac arrest and the …

• Photos (1)

Rants and Raves

Season Of Miracles - Think Odeum, Science Center

What to love and hate about living in East Greenwich this week.

RAVE: All you naysayers, disbelievers, Santa deniers: Bah! Humbug! For 'tis truly the season of miracles! While there have been no religious statues mysteriously weeping tears or iconic images in toast and the economy is still in worse shape than Mike Tyson, there have been some amazing happenings on (or around) Main Street in the past week or so: The Odeum has risen from the almost dead. First, fire code regulations were slightly relaxed. Now, the Main Street theater has received a $141,600  from the Champlin Foundations. Hail Dionysus! Or, more accurately, hail the seers on the Odeum Board who knew that there was life on the stage yet - we may have a downtown theater soon! McDonald’s was slain. Or at least, given a long-term fatal blow…

• Photos (1)

Planning Board Approves McDonald’s, But With Potentially Fatal Amendment

The McDonald’s is proposed for a site across the street from the large Centre of New England complex on New London Turnpike.

Developers of a McDonald’s on New London Turnpike came away unhappy after the Planning Board voted Wednesday night to approve their application, but with an amendment that could force them to return to the Planning Board years hence. “We didn’t get the approval we wanted,” said Rhona McFarlane, area construction manager for McDonald’s USA, after the vote. She was referring to the amendment, which would require McDonald’s to return to the Planning Board for approval of a left-hand turn lane should they lose a Department of Transportation easement. The amendment hinges on the DOT’s plan to build a new onramp to 95 that would alter access to the McDonalds. While it has been on the DOT docket for years, the onramp change is not scheduled to …

•  2 Comments
• Videos (1)

5 Things You Need To Know Today

Winter Concert, Planning Board & More

Five things you need to know about East Greenwich today, Dec 14.

4th-6th Grade Winter Concert: Students from Eldredge, Hanaford and Cole will perform in concert  this evening at Cole at 7 p.m. Planning Board meeting: On the agenda is the final plan for a McDonald’s planned for 2500 New London Turnpike (across from the Centre of New England), and a review of the implementation matrix of the town’s new Comprehensive Plan. The meeting is in Council Chambers at Town Hall and begins at 7 p.m. (The agenda is attached, right.) HDC meeting: The Historic District Commission will review the 2012 meeting schedule, then preside over two hearings, one for a residence on Greene Street and one for a residence on Cedar Avenue. The meeting begins at 7 p.m. but the hearings portion begins at 7:30, in the conference room…

• Photos (1)
• Documents (2)