McDonald’s facing uphill battle in Sussex
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel – Tuesday, May 23, 1995
Author:Betsy Thatcher, The Journal Sentinel staff
Don’t expect to order a cure for a “Big Mac Attack” in the village anytime soon. The McDonald’s Corp. plan to build a fast-food restaurant at the corner of County Highway J and Silver Spring Drive is facing an uphill battle.
The main obstacle seems to be its pairing with a filling
station/mini-mart and car wash on a 2.5-acre site, coupled with concerns about traffic at the increasingly busy intersection.
The Plan Commission last week told developers to find ways to address the impact such development would have on that corner.
Lyons Fuel Co., of Oconomowoc, would like to split its property and sell half to McDonald’s. Plans specify a filling
station/convenience store and car wash at the south end of the property and a 70- to 75-seat McDonald’s restaurant with indoor play area at the north end, near the intersection.
“We didn’t like the property to begin with,” Village Attorney John P. Macy said of plans for the gas station and car wash reviewed last fall. “We were concerned about traffic and we’re even more concerned about traffic now,” with a McDonald’s added to the mix, Macy said. “We already have a horrible situation on that corner.”
“That’s got to be the worst intersection for traffic,” said Village Trustee Patricia Bartlett. “That intersection is just a mess.”
Plans for the site show driveways off both highways. The 4,000-square-foot restaurant would include a drive-through lane.
“I’m not opposed to McDonald’s,” Bartlett said. “Just not there. I think we’re going to suffer in the long run.”
The two highways eventually will be widened and may be taken over by the state because of projected “significant increases” in traffic, said Village President John H. Tews. The two highways now are under county jurisdiction.
Widening could severely affect traffic flow in and out of the property, Tews said.
“The traffic is steadily increasing there, literally by the month,” said commission member Carl Klingbiel.
Sussex panel raises traffic concerns
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel – Friday, June 16, 1995
Author:BILL KURTZ, Special to the Journal Sentinel
It’s going to be at least another month before Ronald McDonald can start planning promotional appearances here.
Representatives of McDonald’s and of Lyons Fuel Co., of Oconomowoc, discussed their proposals for a McDonald’s restaurant and an Amoco service station with the Village Plan Commission Thursday night. But several commission members doubted the proposed site at Silver Spring Drive and County Highway J could accommodate both.
Traffic at the intersection makes the site attractive to McDonald’s. But commission members said much of that traffic is trucks.
“I can’t see how you can put all this on 21/2 acres,” Commissioner Patricia Bartlett said, suggesting Amoco or McDonald’s locate there, but not both. Otherwise, “we’re going to end up with a problem when trucks park along the highway.”
Curt Mauer, a real estate representative for McDonald’s, said the fast food firm expects to draw family business. “I think the truck drivers will see it’s not built to accommodate them,” Mauer said. “We hope the truck customers will realize it’s not easy parking and after they try it once, they won’t return.”
But commission members thought McDonald’s intentions might not matter.
“You’re not planning on truck traffic, but you’re going to get it, whether you want it or not,” Commissioner Carl Klingbiel said. “I don’t think any place can be built to serve food here that won’t attract trucks.”
Developers will try to revamp their plans before the commission meets again July 20.
1st McDonald’s restaurant , filling station approved for Sussex
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel– Wednesday, August 23, 1995
Author:Betsy Thatcher
Sussex Rezoning to allow the village’s first McDonald’s restaurant , combined with a filling station/car wash, was approved unanimously Tuesday by the Village Board.
The development will be built on 2.5 acres at the southeast corner of County Highways J and VV.
At a public hearing preceding the vote, only one person, Joe Marchese, owner of Marchese’s Dance Hall next to the site, spoke about the development.
Marchese, a Waukesha County supervisor, called the plan “a jewel” that was compatible with his business, which is in the Town of Lisbon.
Questions had been raised about whether the restaurant , which would be along a heavily used truck route, would draw trucks and whether the site could accommodate them.
While Plan Commission members in July unanimously recommended the rezoning be approved, they initially had feared trucks would park on the streets or at the adjacent dance hall.
The revised plan provides a few parking spaces for trucks and enlarges a berm to prevent traffic from cutting onto the dance hall property.