Resident Hiring Bus for Wendy's Zoning Hearing

John Boyce has long been a champion of Gorgas Park, but now he’s taking up another cause—Wendy’s.

“We’re in a David versus Goliath battle,” Boyce said at the Central Roxborough Civic Association meeting Thursday.  “We the people and the citizens could become marginalized by a corporation.”

The corporation Boyce spoke of is the fast-food giant Wendy’s who has recently come under fire for wanting to build a restaurant with a drive thru at the corner of Roxborough and Ridge Avenues. 

Boyce and a number of residents spoke out against the restaurant at the Central Roxborough Civic meeting in October.

“They can build a Wendy’s,” Boyce said.  “But a drive thru is not appropriate.  Chestnut Hill has a McDonald’s, but it doesn’t have a drive thru.”

The developers of the Wendy’s can build a restaurant at that location by right under the zoning code, but they need a special exception.

That’s where Boyce comes in—with his bus.

That’s right, his bus.

“I’m paying for a bus out of my pocket,” Boyce said.  “To make sure we have enough people at the zoning hearing to make sure we get a fair shake.”

In order to get a special exception for the drive thru, Wendy’s must first appear in front of the Philadelphia Zoning Board of Appeals.

At that hearing on Nov. 13 at noon, the developers of the Wendy’s as well as the citizens against the Wendy’s will present their cases for or against the restaurant.

Boyce wants to make sure at least 53 “against” voices show up.

“We’re meeting in front of The Foodery at 11 a.m. on Nov. 13,” Boyce said.  “It’s symbolic.  We want individual investment in Roxborough like what happened with The Foodery.  We don’t want something corporate.”

If you are interested in riding Boyce’s bus, you can contact him at johngorgas@gmail.com.

Space is extremely limited.