Just recently, it was announced on the Montville Patch homepage, that construction of a new McDonald’s began this week at the corner of Golden Road and Route 32 which should be completed by September.
It’s amazing to me why our town would need a second McDonald’s restaurant. Within a 10 mile radius, we have 11 McDonald’s locations including the one in Uncasville across from the Tri-Town plaza, Gales Ferry, Salem Turnpike in Salem, Town Street in Norwich, Wal-Mart in Waterford, Boston Post Road in Waterford, New London, Groton, East Lyme, Mystic and Lisbon.
If you broaden that out to a 20 mile radius, you will find McDonald’s locations in Colchester, Pawcatuck, Westerly, Plainfield, Willimantic, Old Saybrook, Westerly, and Mansfield Center.
Montville deserves business chains that we do not already have in our area, or at the very least, in our town.
Has our town officials reached out to chains like Chick-fil-A, Roy Rogers, or Arby’s? For sit-down restaurants, how about a Cracker Barrel, T.G.I. Friday’s, or Rainforest Cafe?
The other issue is traffic associated with the McDonald’s. I question whether the State Traffic Commission will allow McDonald’s to have access directly from Route 32. We will now have traffic going in and out of McDonald’s, right across from the Microtel Hotel.
Even if access is provided from McDonald’s to Golden Road so people can use the traffic light, it still could be quite problematic. Traffic leaving the housing development will conflict with those going to and from McDonald’s. This could greatly discourage folks from using the sidewalks that allow people to walk to the Stop and Shop shopping center.
I wonder how many more houses will be demolished in our town to develop more businesses, it seems the commercial district of town is growing more and more. While I supported the new shopping center and CVS as providing options not available in our town, building another McDonald’s is like building another Dunkin’ Donuts, we just don’t need it.
I hope town officials can work harder in the future to bring in businesses that will actually give out-of-town folks a reason to stop in Montville for shopping, dining, and entertainment. Montville should be known for something other than just the home of Mohegan Sun.
