Altadena : Restaurant Faces Delay

Construction of a proposed McDonald’s restaurant at the northwest corner of Altadena Drive and Lake Avenue will come under closer scrutiny as a result of an urgency ordinance extended Tuesday by the Board of Supervisors.

Under the provisions of the ordinance, which will be in place for the next 10 1/2 months, the restaurant developer must secure a conditional-use permit before beginning construction. The requirement means that a public hearing must be held before restaurant plans are approved.

Residents who organized against the restaurant said it would bring increased traffic and create safety problems. They asked the Board of Supervisors to halt the restaurant construction. But because the restaurant plans comply with the site’s commercial zoning and both the County General Plan and the Altadena Community Plan, the supervisors could only ask for a more detailed review under a 45-day urgency ordinance imposed Feb. 13.

Although representatives of the McDonald’s corporation argued that the extension of the ordinance for another 10 1/2 months would be unfair, the supervisors voted 4 to 1 to extend it. Supervisor Pete Schabarum sided with McDonald’s and voted no.