By vincent todaro
Staff Writer
EAST BRUNSWICK — McDonald’s has received approval from the Zoning Board of Adjustment to operate its drive-through intercom past 11 p.m.
The board voted in May to give McDonald’s, at 730 Route 18 north, a variance to use the intercom, which the 24-hour restaurant previously could not use past 11 p.m. or when the dining room was closed.
However, in an effort to assuage concerns regarding noise, the restaurant has agreed to poll residential neighbors within the next six months to make sure no noise problems are created by the late-night use.
Steven Philips, Zoning Board chairman, said the restaurant always had the right to keep the drive-through open past 11 p.m., but it could not use the intercom past that time. Late-night customers had to give their orders at the window rather than at the intercom, which is located several yards in front of the window.
"The drive-through was always allowed 24 hours," he said. "In order to utilize it, people had to drive up to the window to place an order. [McDonald’s] wanted people to use the intercom, which is more efficient."
The Zoning Board also granted permission for McDonald’s to use the intercom system at times when the dining room is closed.
"The ordinance required them to have an intercom operating only while the interior store is open," Philips said. "They wanted to have the intercom used when the restaurant is not open."
The drive-through lane itself was added when the restaurant underwent renovations last year.
The board voted to approve the intercom use in May and memorialized the resolution at its June 12 meeting.
Board members had concerns about the late-night use because McDonald’s abuts a residential neighborhood on Racetrack Road, Philips said. The township’s planning and engineering department thus asked the restaurant to conduct noise studies.
Philips said that when McDonald’s last made improvements to its facility, it constructed a large sound barrier to buffer the adjacent areas.
"There is no visible or audible activity from cars since they placed the wall up," he said.
McDonald’s experts also testified that the late-night use of the drive-through component would not significantly increase traffic.
Philips said the board and some residents took issue with McDonald’s not cleaning up debris that accumulates on the other side of the buffer wall, which is still on McDonald’s property. Though not all of the garbage came from McDonald’s, the restaurant has an obligation to clean it up, he said. The restaurant agreed to have its landscaping service make sure that garbage is cleaned up regularly, he said.
Also, within six months, McDonald’s must survey its neighbors to make sure they are satisfied with both the noise and garbage situations.
McDonald’s did not receive approval of all its requests, however.
The restaurant had sought to place a new 10-foot-high by 8-foot-wide sign on its property.
"The board made it clear it was opposed because [the sign] was unnecessary and would add to visual pollution there," he said.
McDonald’s agreed to drop the request.