McDonald’s Project Hits Roadblock

By Oliver Lukacs
Staff Writer

May 14 -- A proposed three-story, mixed-use project on the McDonald’s site near the pier has stalled after the City Council Tuesday night blocked the developer’s bid to allow a vehicle entrance on Colorado Avenue.

Although the council approved all other aspects of the 75,000 square foot Mediterranean-style building with a 6 to 1 vote, the development team said the denial of the Colorado alley entrance could kill the project, whose architect has reportedly worked 17 years to bring to life.

After the meeting, the development director for McDonald’s Corporation said his team was “very disappointed” with the council’s refusal to allow the entrance to the project slated to go up at 1540 Second Street, across the street from Santa Monica Place.

“We would not be willing to accept that,” said development director Jim Carras. “There is a chance we might pull (the project) now.”

While the council was happy the developer had incorporated the changes it suggested -- including setting back of the façade to add sidewalk space and adding a ramp connecting the project's surface parking with its subterranean garage -- four of the seven council members would not budge on the entrance.

“It’s a danger to pedestrians,” said Councilman Ken Genser who voted for the project with the condition that it not include the Colorado entrance. “This is an accident waiting to happen. Trying to accommodate this need is misplaced.”

Councilman Kevin McKeown concurred. “This is a safety issue pure and simple.”

Developers argued that the council’s direction to limit vehicular access exclusively to Second Street conflicted with the fast-food chain’s need to accommodate “impulsive-buying” by drivers headed down the main thoroughfare leading to the Pier.

Without the widened alleyway entrance, developers argued, potential customers would be forced to circle the block to satisfy their Mc-craving.

“That is one area we feel we cannot back away from,” said Margaret Taylor, a consultant to the development team. “There is an impulsive-buyer element that we’ve had for almost 25 years.”

Without the Colorado entrance and with only limited signage (the trademark golden arches would be taken down), developers said “there would be a substantial loss in business, and we feel we’d be taking a substantial risk.”

Tuesday’s vote comes one month after the council -- eager to eliminate "blight" on the corner of Second and Colorado and add much-needed parking -- directed staff to return with the documents necessary to approve the project, which will add 190 public parking spaces.