Marlborough Council sends McDonald's drive-thru plan to Urban Affairs

MARLBOROUGH — February 24, 2025 — Marlborough councilors opened a public hearing on a McDonald's drive-thru at the vacant Joy Asia site and sent it to Urban Affairs. Attorney Ann Sobolewski said the 3,830-square-foot, 38-seat restaurant at 735 Boston Post Road East would operate 5 a.m. to 2 a.m., with traffic engineer Sean Kelly projecting under one new trip per minute on a corridor already carrying 16,500 vehicles daily. Abutter David O'Neill of Arcadia Circle objected, saying the neighborhood is "already kind of at our wit's end" with noise from Home Depot, Staples and Dollar Tree. Ward 2 Councilor David Doucette recused. Separately, the council unanimously confirmed Brian Doheny as City Comptroller and Treasurer at Step 7 with an extra vacation week, approved $928,828 in mid-year transfers, accepted $34,945 in Fire Department gifts, and referred Procopio's $25,000 traffic-mitigation payment for 339 Boston Post Road to Urban Affairs after MassDOT blocked two required radar speed signs.