Controversial McDonald’s approved, with traffic improvements

The Oviedo City Council unanimously approved a controversial McDonald’s restaurant to be built on the corner of State Road 434 and East Chapman Road.

With Evans Elementary School already creating congested traffic on East Chapman Road, residents have expressed concern about additional traffic that the McDonald’s could create.

During Monday’s meeting, potential problems brought up at the July 17 Council meeting were readdressed. 

“I think [McDonald’s is a] good business and I think that they’ll probably keep the property quite nice,” Oviedo resident Deborah Persampiere, wife of former Oviedo Mayor Dominic Persampiere, said. “So I’m not concerned about that aspect at all. However, the traffic for getting in and out of that area has been quite dangerous at times once the school was put there.”  

Additional issues regarding the future McDonald’s were brought up during the meeting, such as landscaping possibilities and road expansions. However, going into the meeting, the expectation was for the Council to approve the Architecture Design Order for the McDonald’s. 

“The question is should we approve the architectural design? There were zero deviations.

The answer is yes,” Oviedo Mayor Megan Sladek said. “So it’s a total tangent, the left turn lanes and all this other stuff. We are not allowed under our own code to deny architecture because of something unrelated to architecture.” 

Developer agrees to some traffic remedies

City staff met with the developers representing McDonald’s on Aug. 1 to discuss potential remedies to prevent further traffic congestion in the area. According to the agenda, both parties agreed on four remedies, two of which were new. 

• A new provision for a left turn-in for westbound traffic on East Chapman Road. 
• A new provision to put up a sign and cones to block existing traffic from leaving the McDonald’s onto East Chapman Road during the heavy morning hour of school traffic, from 8:15 to 8:45 a.m. on school days. This new added feature is only a temporary fix until a permanent solution can be found that allows East Chapman Road to handle the added traffic.
• A right-in and right-out turning lane at the access point on S.R. 434. 
• A deceleration lane on East Chapman Road to allow for right-turn ins for traffic headed east.

Councilmember Bob Pollack questioned if the same provisions from 8:15 to 8:45 a.m. should be done in the afternoon around the elementary school’s dismissal time. 

Development Services Director Teresa Correa said that the study found no issues with the afternoon time frame as there was no special being offered around 3 p.m. at McDonald’s. Pollack countered by suggesting that the children could want McDonald’s after being picked up from school. 

“That could be subject to change, because that to me seems like it could be a conflict and an issue, and it backs up in the morning and the afternoon,” Pollack said.

Others backed this idea as well.

“There are going to be parents who are going to want to go and get their kids a shake or ice cream cones if they did good on their test,” Oviedo resident Persampiere said. “We know we can’t exit the back of the car lines for the school.”

A deceleration lane to be built on East Chapman Road will be 25-feet in length, meant to aid eastbound traffic and free up congestion – especially from cars leaving the Elementary school and headed to the McDonald’s.

Some voiced concern about the length of the lane, as 25 feet could fit about one and a half cars, according to Sladek.

“Now that I realized that 25 feet is not two and a half cars,” Sladek said. “I really hope there’s a way to get at least two cars all the way out of lane because what are the odds more than two people are gonna want to turn left coming out.” 

What’s next for McDonald’s 

Construction of the McDonald’s will be completed 18 months after permission to break dirt is granted by city staff, the date of which has yet to be decided. The building, on a 1.4-acre empty lot, will cost $1.2 million to construct.

A purchase order and work order was issued Sept. 6 for the City’s Transportation Consultant, VHB, to conduct an engineering study to better resolve the traffic congestion that runs along East Chapman Road between S.R. 434 and Citrus Cove Drive east of Evans Elementary School. The study is expected to provide an in-depth concept to improve East Chapman Road for the increase in traffic.

Traffic on the future McDonald’s driveway, S.R. 434, Citrus Cove Drive, and the Elementary school’s bus and parent drop-off and pick-up loops will all be evaluated for how many vehicles turn at the intersections and when.

VHB will craft the design work for East Chapman Road about 60 to 90 days after the kickoff meeting on Wednesday, said Paul Yeargain, assistant city engineer and engineering manager.

“They’re going to have to do some traffic counts, perform the study, and then they’re also going to do some survey and preliminary engineering design with different concepts and take a look at that peculiar corridor,” Yeargain said.