In-N-Out Burger will return for its third outing before the City
Council Wednesday night. This time the Planning Commission has
given its approval and the city staff has given partial
approval
– to Applebee’s – added to make the drive-through restaurant
more palatable to the city but not In-N-Out, the driving force
behind the development.
In-N-Out Burger will return for its third outing before the City Council Wednesday night. This time the Planning Commission has given its approval and the city staff has given partial approval – to Applebee’s – added to make the drive-through restaurant more palatable to the city but not In-N-Out, the driving force behind the development.
In-N-Out is requesting the council’s approval to amend its PUD (planned unit development), that the two restaurants be set closer to Cochrane Road than the original PUD required, narrowing the 30-foot landscape buffer and deviating from the architectural theme and design standards.
The problem arises over the image In-N-Out would present as a gateway-to-the-city on the northwest corner of the Cochrane Road/Hwy. 101 intersection. The recently updated general plan, a joint citizen/city effort, states the need to “enhance the visual integrity of the gateways to the city.” According to the city staff report, staff does not consider fast food/drive through a visual enhancement.
Representatives from the Baldwin Park-based eatery have insisted at past council meetings that the restaurant would be widely used and contribute to the community by offering well-paying jobs with futures, unlike most fast food establishments. The company has signed up Applebee’s to fill out the two sites, originally reserved for 8,000 square-foot and 6,300 square-foot restaurants. Applebee’s would be designed as a 5,000-6,500 square-foot eatery and In-N-Out at 3,253.
The staff recommends approving the Applebee’s plan as long as the PUD is changed to meet requirements. It does not recommend approving In-N-Out.
