North Hollywood : McDonald’s Agrees to Redesign Restaurant

A fast-food chain said Monday it has agreed to use a Spanish mission-style architecture to redesign a proposed McDonald’s restaurant at Lankershim Boulevard and Riverside Drive, following the requests of nearby residents.

After meeting with the Studio City Residents Assn., which had several reservations about the restaurant, McDonald’s Corp. officials also agreed to do the following:

* Improve proposed landscaping around the restaurant and plant trees in the parking lot.

* Reduce a pole sign’s height from 34 feet to 25 feet.

* Prohibit left turns from the restaurant’s Lankershim Boulevard driveway.

Although the restaurant is located in North Hollywood, the Studio City Residents Assn. has represented resident interests in the neighborhood in the past, due to its proximity to Studio City. At a June 16 zoning hearing, residents complained that the proposed project would be unsightly, needed additional landscaping and would cause traffic problems. A city zoning official suggested that representatives of McDonald’s and residents meet together to try to work out their differences.

On Monday, both sides said talks were successful.

“When you work together, everybody benefits,” said Tony Lucente, president of the residents group.

Ron Street, a representative in McDonald’s real estate division, said, “We’re on the same page.” Street said he is waiting for Lucente to send a letter to the city zoning administrator informing him that the association now approves of the project in its updated form.

According to Lucente, McDonald’s has also agreed to “adopt” four blocks around the restaurant site, which the corporation has pledged to keep free of graffiti and litter. Street said the corporation is hoping to open the restaurant late this year or early next year.