Join signers of this letter asking the world's largest fast-food chain, McDonald’s, to withdraw its restaurant reconstruction proposal in downtown Reading, MA, and instead pursue mixed-use redevelopment. The fast-food giant would replace today’s single drive-up window with three windows, encouraging automotive use and increasing traffic and pedestrian hazards on sidewalks and travel lanes as more cars enter and exit the site near a congested intersection that is a high-crash location. And the McDonald's proposal is badly out of step with Town goals for a pedestrian-friendly downtown and Massachusetts’ “MBTA Communities” housing development goals.

We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to rethink the site at 413 Main Street, two blocks from the Reading MBTA station.  McDonald's can still be a true community partner and live up to its corporate goals of “reducing emissions in our restaurant operations” and its "commitment to achieve net zero emissions across... global operations by 2050.”  Alternative mixed-use development plans can be a win for all concerned, including McDonald's.

The next public hearing on this matter will be the evening of Monday, November 6 (at a time to be announced later) before the Community Planning & Development Commission at Reading Town Hall.  Attend and make your voice heard.

You can also send your own comments to the McDonald's government relations and real estate teams, Reading Select Board, CPDC, and Town Planner using all of these addresses.

 Rachel.Kaprielian@us.mcd.com; Troy.Faulkner@us.mcd.com; amacnichol@ci.reading.ma.us; mbenedetto@ci.reading.ma.us; selectboard@ci.reading.ma.us; cpdc@ci.reading.ma.us