Altadena : McDonald’s Hearings Set

Altadena residents will have a chance to speak out about plans for a new McDonald’s restaurant under an ordinance adopted Tuesday by the county Board of Supervisors.

The ordinance, proposed by Supervisor Mike Antonovich, requires the creation of a commercial development plan for the site and the scheduling of public hearings before the Regional Planning Commission and the board. The board hearing will be March 29; no date has been set for the planning hearing.

The new restaurant, proposed for the northwest corner of Altadena Drive and Lake Avenue, has drawn stiff opposition from residents who say the restaurant will be incompatible with the surrounding residential neighborhood and will bring increased traffic and cooking fumes.

Those concerns prompted a review last week by the traffic and lighting division of the county Public Works Department, which determined that it meets state traffic safety codes. Because the new McDonald’s also follows zoning requirements for the site and complies with the community and county general plans, no public hearing would have been required without the new ordinance.