“We have always followed due process every step of the way” That’s what Skye Oxenham, PR Manager for McDonald’s Australia has constantly parroted every time the media have questioned McDonald’s building in Tecoma despite overwhelming opposition from the council, the community and the broader audience off the mountain. We feel that it probably needs to be fine-tuned so as to reflect their actual actions. We suggest the following: “We have always followed due process every step of the way when it suits us, any other time we will just do as we please as planning laws don’t really apply to us”Some of the community became aware last week that McDonald’s had applied to the Yarra Ranges Council for additional signage approval and an alteration to the rear balcony surround at the Tecoma store. They attempted this request via a planning mechanism known as “secondary consent”. This allows the council’s planning department to approve some planning requests without the need for public discussion. What makes this request interesting is that most of what McDonald’s requested had already been dealt with and ruled on by VCAT, McDonald’s were being somewhat “shifty” thinking they could “con” the council into approving amendments that VCAT had already ruled on.

The good news is our council isn’t stupid and have rejected McDonald’s request.

What McDonald’s tried to request:

– To move the illuminated ‘M’ which is currently located on the side of the building (facing the Body Corporate strip of shops) to a new location on the opposite side of the blade. (The blade being the stone structure on the front of the building)

– To move the ‘McCafe’ sign, which is currently located beneath the existing illuminated ‘M’ on the blade, 40cm higher.

– To install a new sign above the Burwood Hwy entrance to the building (to the left of the illuminated ‘McDonald’s’ sign). This sign would be placed on a panel pointing out towards the road (towards houses on the BP side of the road) and would have yet another illuminated ‘M’ (46cm x 38cm) placed on it facing the oncoming traffic that is heading up Burwood Hwy.

They also tried this on:

McDonald’s also applied to Council for permission to have the glass panels which were to be installed surrounding the terrace/balcony at the rear of the building replaced with stainless steel wire. McDonald’s were required to install glass panels in this area as part of their original planning permit but never did so and installed stainless steel wire around the rear terrace instead without permission from Council and in breach of their planning permit. Now they are applying for the Council to grant approval for this change – five months after the fact.

This was purely an “ass-covering” exercise in a pathetic attempt to have the council sanction what is plainly a permit breach. It’s also worth a reminder that during construction McDonald’s also attempted to construct the “blade” 2 metres higher than legally mandated by VCAT. There were embarrassingly caught out by the community and council then and it appears they have been caught out again.”

Like we said “McDonald’s think that the planning laws don’t apply to them”

This planning request also highlights the fact that the store is an abject failure. If it was trading as well as they claim then why do they need to alter the signage already mandated by VCAT? The reason is simple they are confusing visibility with community contempt. The store sits empty not because no one can find it (let’s face it we made it the most notorious McDonald’s in the country), no, the store sits empty because the community of which McDonald’s bullied refuse to patronize it.

There’s a word for it…….karma.

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