Fast food chain McDonald’s has lodged a Development Application with Northern Beaches Council to construct a 24 hours a day, 7 days a week restaurant including a 15 car drive-thru and 26 space car park at 37 Roseberry Street, Balgowlah (where Seven Miles Coffee is currently located).
The DA has come under scrutiny by some in the local community who are strongly against the development, and who have created a Facebook group and Change.org petition (tipping over 1,500 signatures at the time of publication) even before Council issued a notification notice to nearby residents. The notice was also later expanded after outcry from community members.
Harrington Property Group (the same group who is proposing the development in Dee Why which you can read about here) bought the block of land in 2021 for $10,250,000, and the current tenants, Seven Miles Coffee Company have been there since the 1970’s. They plan to remain for a while yet.
“We’ve been aware of the development application, and we have a long-term lease at Roseberry Street, but at the same time we are a high growth business and exploring future opportunities to grow the business but remain on the Northern Beaches,” Nick Egan, CEO of Seven Miles Coffee Company told us.
“The local community is a big part of who we are and what we do and they’re important to us, so we want to stay on the Beaches.”
McDonald’s said they are excited to join the Manly Vale community (it’s on the border of Balgowlah and Manly Vale) as a local employer, and as a business committed to working to support local causes.
“If approved, a Macca’s in Manly Vale will create more than 100 new local jobs and represents an investment of more than $3.9 million into the community,” McDonald’s said in a statement.
Locals have called for Member for Manly, James Griffin, to intervene and while he admits to enjoying the occasional cheeseburger and nuggets, he doesn’t agree with the proposed location.
“Noise, traffic, litter and everything that a 24hr venue brings to a residential area are all reasons for McDonalds to find a different location. Don’t get me wrong, I am not knocking Maccas, but there are far more appropriate locations,” Mr Griffin told Manly Observer.
“Most McDonalds are built on main roads; this isn’t a main road and is opposite residential properties. I’ll be fighting for my local residents against this development. Northern Beaches Councillors need to do the right thing here and represent the interests of their ratepayers by rejecting this.”
However, neither councillors nor Mr Griffin have powers to stop the development being approved. Most are determined by Council staff and more controversial applications are determined by a Local Planning Panel.
At the time of publication, there have been over 100 submissions (and the number rises steadily). Due to the high public interest, Council has told locals the DA has been referred to this Planning Panel.
Those against
Locals have called for an independent traffic report to be conducted after doubting the findings of the traffic report commissioned by McDonald’s.
“The Traffic Report is almost laughable, and I believe anyone who frequents the area would agree,” Manly Vale local, Racheal, told us.
“It doesn’t account for existing traffic issues, the drive-thru queue overflow, existing road rage incidents, pedestrian safety trying to cross the road, the knock-on effects to the traffic flow when McDonald’s customers can’t enter or exit, or the effect of additional delivery vehicles.
“The additional negative traffic load will make conditions worse for residents, businesses, and commuters in the area. These implications alone should be a reason this DA should not be supported by Council.”
The report estimated McDonald’s would generate an additional 205 cars on weekday afternoons, and 265 cars on Saturdays (times the report claimed were peak traffic congestion hours).
The report recommended to remove parking on the eastern side of Roseberry Street opposite the site’s entrance (losing four on street parking spaces) to provide a no queuing line marking on the northbound traffic lane. This would allow southbound vehicles on Roseberry Street to pass a vehicle turning right into the site and minimise effect on traffic.
“There are already concerns with the roundabout on Roseberry Street and Kenneth Road, and the traffic around school pick up (3pm – 4pm), essentially the McDonald’s will only add to the traffic,” Justin, a local father, said.
“To cross this road with my kids, I’m always having to put my arm out to stop cars to make sure my kids can safely cross. I’ve written to Council before to change the way the intersection works and potentially putting lights or a zebra crossing, but they basically came back saying, ‘we’ve already done a survey on the area, and it’s not needed’.”
There are several primary and high schools in the area and residents voiced their shared concerns over not only the unhealthy message having McDonald’s in the area would send to young children, but also the increase in traffic and safety for students who ride e-bikes to and from school.
“The McDonald’s will bring a poorer quality of life for nearby residents. There will be light pollution, noise pollution, increased traffic, litter, rodents, not to mention the horrendous smell… it will not be a nice atmosphere to live,” Bonnie Gibbons, who lives up the road from the proposed development, told us.
“For me, I don’t think I would be able to live close to a McDonald’s, and I fear that would push us out of this community and out of the Northern Beaches with current housing prices and interest rates.”
Another local, Brigid Hunt, said that while the area is semi-industrial, it’s also a residential area and the impacts of having a McDonald’s in the area will negatively impact those residents and those who use the nearby amenities like supermarkets.
Locals have shared concerns over not only the waste the restaurant would produce (and the potential for an increase in vermin due to that waste), but the constant noise, again not only from patrons, but from delivery trucks and waste removal trucks.
The Waste Management report outlined the site is expected to generate approximately 2,133.6 litres per week of non-recyclable waste and a private contractor will be engaged to conduct twice-weekly waste collection during the day, evening and morning shoulder period.
There has also been concern over the potential of crimes or anti-social behaviour which the 24-hour premises may bring. This concern was acknowledge in the Crime Risk Assessment, however, it was outlined the crime prevention strategies put in place during the planning, design and structure of the site, to reduce the opportunities for crime and dissuade potential offenders, was sufficient.
It’s not only locals who are against the development. Gina Bianchini of Holixir, down the road from the proposed McDonalds, said her biggest concern is traffic and availability of parking for her customers.
“It also just doesn’t fit in with what else is going on in the street,” she added.
“As a business, and personally, I just don’t think it’s a great thing to see turn up here.”
Redwin, Manager at L’Americano Espresso Bar, told Manly Observer he wasn’t overly concerned about the development (at this stage) as it would attract a different clientele to his café.
Getting the word out
As we said earlier, even before Council notifications hit residents’ mailboxes, locals were advocating against the development and sharing the news in any that they could.
Posters have been put up around the area with information on the development and QR codes to join the growing Facebook group, ‘Say No to McDonald’s’ and sign the Change.org petition.
In Council’s first notification map, only a handful of residents were planned to be notified.
“The original notification area didn’t even include people in Kooorala Street, and people over there will be just as affected by the traffic as those on Roseberry Street,” Tom Brady, who lives in Roseberry Street, told us.
So far, he has distributed 500 letters to residents outside of the original notification area to raise awareness of the development and he plans to do more. While Council has extended the notification area, Tom is concerned that by the time they mail the letters, and by the time people check their mailbox, they may run out of time to make a formal submission.
“To make your submission count, you have to address the issues of the development application, not just your feelings on it, and to do that properly, you need to read the documents and some of them are 100 pages long. It takes time and people are busy, so I’m trying to get the word out as early as possible,” he explained.
Better options
Locals suggested the block could be used to provide much needed services to the local community. The first idea is a childcare centre.
“Recently, Council made it very difficult for the Manly Vale Early Learning Services to stay in operation and they had to close after 18 years in November 2024,” Renata, a resident across the road from Seven Miles Coffee, said.
“Leaving us with no daycare in Manly Vale for kids under three years old, yet they are willing to have another fast food just across the road from KFC.”
Another idea is a block of units.
“There’s been such a push from Federal and State government about increasing the supply of housing and here you have this block that is right near the B-Line to the city,” Tom explained.
Other ideas from locals have been a fresh food grocer, pharmacy or even fitness facility.
The exhibition period ends on 13 March 2025.
View the DA here.
