McDropped: McDonald's Dismisses Lawsuit Against Solon

McDonald's has voluntarily dismissed its lawsuit against the city of Solon, ending an expected court battle over city council's denial of plans for a new restaurant in the center of town.

Solon Law Director Thomas Lobe said that McDonald's dropped the lawsuit June 14.

It's unclear right now why the giant restaurant chain abandoned the suit. Bruce Rinker, an attorney representing McDonald's owner Meloney G. Karos, has not yet returned a call from Solon Patch.

The owner of the Solon McDonald's  in December to fight Solon City Council's 6-1 rejection of the proposal to build a new McDonald's at the busy corner of SOM Center and Aurora roads.

Rinker previously told Solon Patch that McDonald's hoped to cut a deal with the city. 
An attorney representing McDonald's owner Meloney G. Karos said they still hope to cut a deal with the city. 

"We always hope we can work something out with the city," he said.

Karos required a slew of zoning variances to build a new McDonald's at the site of the defunct Sunoco Station. After months of deliberation and stops-and-starts, city council turned down the proposal after midnight Dec. 7, following a marathon debate on the project's merits and shortcomings.

Many Solon residents have criticized the proposal. Some don't want a fast-food restaurant as a "centerpiece" in town. Many are worried about adding more traffic to an already congested intersection.

The existing McDonald's farther down Aurora Road is decades old and not up to modern standards – it lacks a drive-through, for instance.