In March 2024, the City's Planning Commission wisely rejected the application from McDonald's for this location with a 5-2 vote against approval. That decision is now being appealed to the City Council with a hearing scheduled for May 28, 2024. 

The rejection was well-supported and made sense, but it appears we need to keep fighting. Below is a summary of the reasons, updated to the admissions at the hearing.

Firstly, it will result in increased traffic congestion. It was admitted at the hearing that 75% of the sales would be to the drive-thru, with the vast majority diverted off I-25 through the community. Fast-food restaurants often generate up to 500 trips per day and potentially round the clock. This will lead to worse traffic jams and unsafe conditions for American Academy and Montessori School students and parents.

Secondly, we must consider environmental factors.  Smoke pollution from around-the-clock operations could degrade air quality and pose health risks to residents, especially those with respiratory conditions. There was no meaningful response to this issue at the hearing in March.

Furthermore, littering is often associated with fast-food establishments. An increase in trash could tarnish the beauty of our neighborhood and potentially harm local wildlife. Some of the packaging used has actually been reported as made with carcinogenic PFAS chemicals, adding to the issues of litter and trash.

There's also an undeniable link between late-night businesses and increased crime rates. Commercial areas operating during late hours have higher incidences of crime. The response was that there would be a minimum wage "security guard" inside the building--which totally ignored issues of community safety.

Lastly, such a restaurant will destroy local businesses such as locally-owned coffee shops and restaurants.  By dragging business off I-25 the company, can use predatory pricing to drive out local coffee shops and destroy the potential of a local breakfast restaurant. Small businesses simply cannot compete with a multi-billion-dollar company's marketing budget! 

For these reasons -- traffic congestion, environmental concerns including smoke pollution and littering issues, potential increases in crime, and destruction local businesses nearby -- let's strongly support the Planning Commission's rejection of this site improvement proposal

We urge all who care about preserving Castle Pines' quality of life and safety to join us in voicing your opposition by signing this petition and telling the  Castle Pines City Council to REJECT the proposed site plan.