Tecoma's community protest against the McDonalds development

 Today I took Sophie for a walk as I do most days.  My walk usually takes me up to Burwood Highway and along the way I enjoy this scenes like this.  Just beautiful don't you think?  A beautiful environment is what the Dandenong Ranges is all about.  The adjoining suburbs to Tecoma of Upwey, Belgrave, Belgrave Heights, Belgrave South, Selby, Kallista and Sassafrass are just as lovely.  We live on the edge of the Sherbrooke Forest in the Dandenong Ranges
an area that we wish to keep protected and be able to enjoy for many years to come.

Almost in the centre of this photo you can see the lights of the intersection of Burwood right in the middle of Tecoma.

As I approached the highway, my moments of peace and serenity were interrupted when I saw a man with a placard protesting about the McDonalds development.  He has been banned from protesting close to the McDonalds site as he was involved in a blockade on the day McDonalds started work on site.

 Standing next to the protesting man below is an elderly lady, a grandmother who lives in a unit adjacent to where the McDonalds car park will be, her kitchen window looks onto the car park area.

This is her unit below.  She is so scared as people already come hooning in this car park at night in their cars and with the addition of a 24/7 McDonalds there will most certainly be an increase in these incidents.

You can see from these plans below just how close the development will be to these residential units and how chaotic traffic will be with a drive though facility.

Apparently Tecoma doesn't have any traffic congestion or problems of any sort!  The photos below were taken at 3.00pm just before school pickup time.

Pedestrian and traffic lights at the intersection of Sandals Road and Burwood Highway used heavily at school drop off and pick up time.

The local kindergarten and primary school are diagonally opposite the development site.  Pedestrian traffic assistants are there morning and afternoons to assist with children crossing Sandals Road and Burwood Highway.  Who is going to be assisting children crossing the drive through entry and exit roads at McDonalds?

 

Walls have been barricaded around the development site so we can't see what they are doing.  I climbed on top of a fallen log to take this photo.  Previous to these barriers being put up, there were metal and wire fences to protect the general public from any danger.  Now we can't see what is going on.  There were plovers seen mating in this grassy area recently and many people believe they are/were intending to nest here.  Now we can't see what is going on.  Take a look at this link to learn more, the plovers have their own Facebook page.

Two security guards having a smoke.

Protestors messages written in chalk.

Even Santa doesn't want McDonalds.  This sign is displayed in the property of a house which is opposite the development site.

Two more security guards employed by McDonalds.

Protesters holding placards.  Those people who support the protesters toot their horns as they drive past which is very encouraging to all those holding placards.

Will this view be improved by a big bright garish yellow M?  I think not.

If anyone would like to support our cause to try and stop this development even at this late stage, please visit change.org and sign the petition.

Thank you so much.

Anne  xx