Planning Commission Gives Go Ahead for Construction of McDonald's Drive-Thru

Residents will soon see golden arches when a new McDonald's drive-thru comes into town, after the Grand Terrace Planning Commission on Tuesday evening, voted to approve the project proposal on certain conditions. Residents living near the approved building location on Barton Road just east of the existing Miguel's Jr. drive-thru and project applicant Kori Seki, represented by Kelly Johnson of Bickel Underwood, gathered to hear the planning commission's decision regarding the project. The project applicants were also requesting operating hours of 5 a.m. to 12 midnight seven days a week. Staff recommended the planning commission approve the project with a revised condition of operating hours from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week, considering the future restaurant's proximity to private residences. Residents Matt and Jo Stringfield, who live on the 22200 block of Barton Road east of where the future McDonald's will be located, supported the construction of the drive-thru but brought to the commission a few concerns. "I've been here long enough that I can remember when McDonald's tried to come through in Grand Terrace and they couldn't get in because [the City] didn't want a drive-thru," she said. "It's nice the city is opening up and being considerate to business in the area. I think it's been a long time coming for a variety of food places to come in. My concerns are where the speakers are placed, so anything that can be done to help [with noise reduction], I appreciate it. Also, with the Miguel's Jr. there, sometimes the semi-trucks have a hard time making that turn or because of the island, they get stuck, so that is something for consideration." Sandra Molina, with the city's Economic Development Department, explained that project proposal plans indicate that drive-thru speakers will be set back at least 100 feet from current residences and the speaker manufacturer has said that the speakers are conditioned to have automatic volume control and that the volume of the speaker boards in the drive-thru will automatically be lowered during the evening operating hours. Molina also said that staff recommends landscaping of fast-growing evergreen trees as per the Barton Road Specific Plan's (BRSP) requirement of a screen wall to be placed between the project site and the residential area to further assist in blocking the volume of the speaker boards in the drive-thru from disturbing the residential neighborhood. Doug Wilson, a former planning commission chairman, asked commissioners to consider that there is little impact on noise reduction given by trees. "There's not a lot of sound retention value from evergreen trees," said Wilson in his address. "I learned that the hard way with the Senior Center and I just wanted to bring that to the commission for consideration. But if the trees are spaced adequately close, that can help with headlight diffusion." Kori Seki, a representative from McDonald's, also addressed concerns regarding the issues of light and noise. "Because we're going to be operating from 6 (a.m.) to 11 (p.m.) and whether delivery trucks will be coming in during the morning or the afternoon, that all depends on the route because those trucks will be delivering food to different restaurants as well," he said, although he assured the planning commission that delivery trucks would only be operating between approved business hours. To address concerns regarding possible future traffic in the area, Jim Bickel, a principal with architectural firm Bickel Underwood, who will be constructing the restaurant, said, "We've provided a new public path of travel all the way from the public sidewalk on Barton, which will connect through to McDonald's, and then across to the Stater Bros., so again we're hoping that should help resolve some of the congestion issues that are going on right now." No one spoke out against the project during the meeting and Molina explained the restaurant follows requirements for use set forth by the BRSP and that landscaping, earth-toned color scheme and architecture will also follow the BRSP requirements. The planning commission unanimously approved the project on the conditions that noise from the drive-thru speakers remains reduced and that the restaurant operate during the hours of 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.