Residents of Twin Eagles, Fairway Heights and Winston Place told the Municipal Planning Commission at a work session that they oppose rezoning a 2.35-acre parcel at the intersection of State Route 25 and Highway 109 from agricultural/residential to MU (mixed use) to allow a McDonald's restaurant.

Why it matters: Multiple public speakers said the intersection already experiences frequent accidents and congestion where commuters enter and exit nearby subdivisions, and that a high-turnover fast-food business with drive-through lanes would worsen traffic flow and safety for pedestrians and emergency responders.

What residents said

- Jordan Wade, a Twin Eagles resident, listed environmental and community concerns and said, “There are at least 3 McDonald's within 5 miles of the proposed location,” arguing the site is not needed and would increase congestion and roadside litter.

- Several residents, including Amanda Jones, Amy Bulkley, Darren Christiansen and Carolyn Allen, described repeated crashes when leaving Twin Eagles and asked for an independent traffic study before any rezoning.

Staff and applicant comments

- Staff said the proposal requests rezoning of 2.35 acres to MU and recommended site-level mitigations in their initial review: extend a median to create a right-in/right-out, add an opaque fence to buffer light and sound at the ordering area, preserve the southern tree line as a buffer and revise architectural details to match nearby McDonald's across from Windsong.

- Seth Carter, civil engineering consultant for the applicant, said the current plan shows two driveway entrances off Putter Point Drive, with the northern access intended as a right-in/right-out and the southern entrance providing the primary access. He said the applicant will conduct a traffic-impact study and is in communication with TDOT; he said there are currently no planned highway widening projects tied to this submittal.

Commission discussion

- Commissioners and engineering staff raised concerns about the proximity of the intersection to existing signals and whether a future signal would be feasible; they noted that a detailed traffic study is typically performed at the final master development plan (FMDP) stage.

- Several commissioners said the corner is likely to be used for some commercial purpose, but cautioned that the specific McDonald's proposal could exacerbate an existing safety problem unless TDOT or other improvements were made.

Next steps

Staff and the applicant said they would return with a traffic impact study and revised plans. Commissioners highlighted that traffic findings will be central to any future recommendation to council.