Golden Arches to Fly High, Wide and ‘Glitzy’

McDonald’s golden arches have won the right to fly high, wide and askew on Hollywood Boulevard over the hamburger chain’s newest and most expensive restaurant.

The city Building and Safety Commission Tuesday approved the unorthodox signs for the restaurant, after hearing several Hollywood speakers describe them as necessary to recapture the “glitz and show business” heritage of the boulevard.

The commission decision overturned a ruling in December by the city Building and Safety Department that rejected the signs as too large, too high on the roof and extending too far from the building.

In significant departures from city sign regulations, the golden arches measure 450 square feet (contrasted with the allowable 280 square feet) and extend nine feet from the building line, more than the allowable six feet, said Tom Kilmer, building and safety inspector.

Robert Goldfarb, a co-owner of the restaurant at 6776 Hollywood Blvd., said he was elated by the commission ruling but not certain that the signs would be constructed before the scheduled opening in three weeks.

“We could not work on them before we got approval,” Goldfarb said. “We will get them on the building as quickly as possible.”

Supporting the design were the Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency, Councilman Michael Woo and the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. The redevelopment agency is in charge of the $923-million Hollywood Redevelopment Project, which includes the upgrading of Hollywood Boulevard.

Allen N. Ono, an agency planner, said that the exotic design of the signs and the overall building were consistent with rebuilding plans on the boulevard.

“The CRA wants a glitzy and show business look to the redevelopment plans,” Ono told the commission.

Bill Welsh, president of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, said the new McDonald’s has “the look of the future.”

“Hollywood is like no place else in the world,” Welsh said. “Tourists flock here because they think Hollywood is different.”

Goldfarb, who operates six other McDonald’s in Southern California, said the new restaurant, which cost nearly $3 million, is the most expensive in the chain’s more than 7,000 hamburger outlets in the United States.