We can not thank all of our supporters enough for helping to make this happen!
Their application has been withdrawn!
As one of our steering committee members said today:
This quote has been running through my head non-stop the past several months & I think it's worth sharing with this AMAZING group now.
"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better, it's not." - Dr. Seuss, The Lorax
Read all about it in the East Bay Times article >> CLICK here.
By JENNIFER MODENESSI | jmodenessi@bayareanewsgroup.com | Bay Area News Group
PUBLISHED: April 26, 2017 at 11:17 am | UPDATED: April 26, 2017 at 11:21 am
WALNUT CREEK — Responding to fierce opposition from neighbors, the developer of a proposed In-n-Out hamburger restaurant has pulled out of the project.
Hall Equities Group withdrew its application with the city of Walnut Creek to develop an outpost of the popular burger chain at the corner of Second Avenue and North Main Street. The project included a Starbucks and upgrades to an existing building currently housing Masses Sports Bar & Grill and several offices.
Hall was asking for a conditional use permit allowing drive-through service at the 2.4-acre site. But neighbors objected to the proposal, citing worries about increased traffic and incompatibility with the Larkey Park neighborhood.
Resident Daniel Anguis, who lives near the site, said neighbors wanted their thoughts and concerns integrated into development considerations. He called the withdrawal of the application a “step in the right direction.”
“It shows Hall Equities and the city are listening to the community and integrating our fears into their approach which just gives us faith that a suitable future development is possible,” Anguis said.
In a statement, developer Mark Hall said it wasn’t in his company’s best interest to pursue such a “divisive” use, and had terminated the lease and development agreement with In-n-Out.
He also touted Hall Equities Group developments in the area, including Geary Marketplace, which has a Sprouts Farmers Market, and the 680 Center, which includes 24 Hour Fitness and a Chik-fil-A eatery. Both projects, Hall said, have much less commercial square footage, which allows for more parking than the city intended for the sites.
Despite shelving the project, Hall is looking ahead.
“We will come forward with a new application for the site in the near future. Our next project proposal may not be the most dynamic, or high-profile of projects but it will be a low impact good neighbor, and it will be a use that is consistent with the established zoning parameters,” Hall said.
A planning commission study session on the project had been eyed for May, according to city staffers. The project had yet to undergo formal public review.