Sharing a few clarifications regarding McDonald’s rezoning application (ZC case number 22-19) provided by McDonald’s counsel Holland & Knight and the owner Raoul Alvarez at the meeting held by ANC Commissioner Emily Singer Lucio (5A03) on May 5, 2022. See McDonald’s Presentation May 5, 2022. The presentation and minutes from that meeting are available on ANC 5A’s website under Documents→Meeting Minutes→Single Member District→5A03.

They said McDonald’s is pursuing this rezoning in order to build a new restaurant with a drive-thru to replace the current restaurant at 4950 South Dakota Avenue NE. They said the higher mixed-use designation they are seeking (MU-7B) would permit them to build a drive-thru whereas their current mixed-use designation (MU-3A) does not. Specifically they said that the MU 7 Zone is within MU Use Group F, citing to 11 U DCMR § 500.2, and that in MU Use Group F, eating and drinking establishments are permitted as a matter of right, including the drive thru, citing to 11 U DCMR § 515.1.

They do not plan to maximize height or lot occupancy. The newly built restaurant will likely top out around 36 feet and the building will be around roughly 5,000 square feet. They do not intend to build on the wooded lot behind the McDonald’s. They do not intend to build housing. They simply want the rezoning for a drive-thru. (Edited to add: They acknowledged they have been trying to add a drive-thru for many many years. To that point, when I was looking up zoning documents, I came across this one from 1982). They said none of this is mentioned in their application because the question before the Zoning Commission is narrow–whether the requested zoning change is not inconsistent with the Comprehensive Plan. They said the Zoning Commission prefers that applicants not include things like site plans and the rest for a rezoning application. McDonald’s plans to provide site plans, traffic circulation plans, color schemes, and the rest at future community meetings.

The rezoning application is just for the McDonald’s. While the change to the Future Land Use Map (FLUM) during the Comp Plan amendment process did affect the properties in the plaza next door to the McDonald’s, the rezoning application filed by McDonald’s with the Zoning Commission is just for the lot on which McDonald’s sits. If the owners of the properties in the strip mall want to rezone those properties (which are in a different lot), they will have to go through their own rezoning process with the Zoning Commission.

This rezoning application by McDonald’s is just the next step in the process to complete the zoning change process they started many years ago during the Comp Plan amendment process. Recall the ANC supported their rezoning request in 2017 and McDonald’s asked for reaffirmation of that support in 2019. The Comp Plan update took a while so only now have they reached the point where they are seeking the rezoning by the Zoning Commission and that is why they are now seeking the ANC’s support once again. They said they can work with the ANC during the permitting process in terms of securing any assurances that the ANC may want.

Commissioner Lucio requested that McDonald’s attend the regularly scheduled ANC 5A meeting later this month. Hopefully by then they will have an FAQ sheet prepared so that everyone is equipped with the pertinent information.

Commissioner Lucio plans to have a meeting with ANC Commissioner Charles Lockett (5A02), ANC Commissioner Gordon Fletcher (5A08), and North Michigan Park Civic Association president Carmen Williams so that they can all work together on this. If you live in that area and have questions about any of this, you can reach out to one of them.