McDonald’s Silverdale worries locals about potential traffic

Soon-to-be-opened McDonald’s Silverdale has created controversy from locals with traffic being a major cause for concern.

The Hibiscus Coast’s (HBC) newest McDonald’s is located in the developing suburb East Coast Heights, and the restaurant is surrounded by a bus station, townhouses and a retirement village.

In a survey of 270 Hibiscus Coast locals, most respondents were “for” it being opened, at 35.2 per cent of votes while 32.6 per cent were “against” the opening - and 32.2 per cent were “indifferent.”

But 68.5 per cent agreed the restaurant would create more traffic congestion.

Chairman of Hibiscus and Bays local board Gary Brown says they did not receive notification about the resource consent.

McDonald’s Spokesperson Simon Kenny says they have been searching for a suitable site in Silverdale for a while due to “growth in population and traffic in the area”.

“Typically, McDonald’s looks for sites that offer good vehicle access, visibility, and space to accommodate elements such as a Drive-Thru, Playland and car parking.”

However, an overwhelming response from contributors said the chosen location was “terrible”, “awful”, “horrendous”, and a “hot spot” for traffic jams.

“The local area is already starved for public transport car-parking, it is likely to overflow to the Maccas car park and thus towing and infringement will ensue,” said one.

“The roads are too small already not offering much room for [passing] the few cars that are able to park on the road, alongside the many busses that have to manoeuvre within the area.”

But many others praised the location due to its motorway proximity, convenience for bus users and providing another landmark in the area.

“The McDonald’s will help to build the public presence around the bus station, which will hopefully help to make it feel safer as it is currently quite isolated,” another responder says.

There has been an increase in fast food options on the Hibiscus Coast, with McDonald’s Silverdale being the most recent among several franchises.

Most respondents were neutral towards this growth, with many happy it will support the economy and create job opportunities.

Kenny says restaurants of this size would normally employ around 70 people.

“Our franchisee is actively recruiting for new staff,” he said.

The opening date is not confirmed but is expected to be within the next month.