Supervisors approve McDonald’s upgrade

The Board of Supervisors approved a major upgrade of the McDonald’s on Arlington Boulevard in the Falls Church area of Mason District on Dec. 6.

The restaurant, built in 1958, is the second oldest McDonald’s in Virginia, the company’s representative, Evan Prichard, told the board.

The biggest change is the addition of a double-lane drive-through, with cars circulating in a counterclockwise direction around the building.

The two entrances to the restaurant would be consolidated, resulting in just one access point.

In response to numerous complaints from the community about crashes on Route 50, McDonald’s worked with the Virginia Department of Transportation and the Fairfax County Department of Transportation to add curb extensions and change the configuration of Route 50 in front of the restaurant.  

A new diagonal median strip in the road will prevent drivers exiting McDonald’s from making a left turn onto westbound Arlington Boulevard or heading straight across to the other side.

To address concerns about stormwater runoff, the company will reduce the pervious surface on the site by cutting the number of parking spaces from 57 to 25 and adding landscaping to the lot.

McDonald’s will also add a sidewalk along the front of the property and agreed to retain the iconic golden-arches sign.

If VDOT needs to expand the right-of-way at that site, Prichard said the company will relocate the sign or replace it with a similar one.

The company also agreed to add a seven-foot-tall fence between the property and Tripps Run, add 53 new native trees and 228 other native plants, and remove invasive plants and debris from Tripps Run.

The exterior of the restaurant will be modernized and with a mostly gray color scheme. The building will be expanded by 63 square feet.