McDonald's Demolition Approved By Planning Commission

Concord planning commissioners have approved plans to tear down a McDonald's restaurant and build a new one in its place.

The commission voted 5-0 Wednesday night to grant a use permit for McDonald's to knock down its existing restaurant at 4550 Clayton Road and construct a new 4,010-square-foot restaurant with a 784-square-foot playground and a reconfigured drive-through window.

Ryan Lenhardt, a city senior planner, said McDonald's hopes to open the new fast-food restaurant by Oct. 31.

"They plan to scrape the site and start over. It's pretty ambitious," he said.

Lenhardt said the commission modified two conditions in the proposal.

One would have required McDonald's to have a security guard on duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Instead, the city and company will monitor the situation and see if security is needed.

The other condition would have prohibited McDonald's from handing out free food samples to people. There have been concerns the program would encourage transients to come to the Clayton Road corridor.

The new condition asks McDonald's to come up with a handout program that will not create a nuisance for nearby businesses and homes.