On Tuesday at the City Council Meeting, McDonald’s Corporation attempt to appeal the Planning Commission 6-1 vote rejecting a drive-thru at Stockton Blvd. and 2nd Street. After a two-year battle and 1,720 signatures, McDonald’s Oak Park drive-thru project was rejected. The community worked together diligently to keep the fast food restaurant from being build, with support from Oak Park Neighborhood Group and Healthy Development for Oak Park (HDOP).
The City Council patiently listened to nearly sixty public opinions. The constituents supporting McDonalds stressed their need for employment and affordable food. The opposition argued that the drive-thru plans conflicted with design guidelines, was inconsistent with General Plans 2030, and threatened the overall health and safety of surrounding residents.
Tuesday marked an important day in community building and improvement. Because a small community worked together, they kept a big, if not the biggest corporation, from building where they wanted. This is huge! That means we can do it! Esteban McCubbin writes, “Oak Park should be proud for standing up against an entity that would have brought more plight than prosperity.”
McDonald advocates supported the idea of having a source of employment the most but the proposal would only employ 54.9 people. That’s nearly everyone asking for the job on Tuesday. Isn’t there more that 55 unemployed citizens in Oak Park? And if so, the 2.3 million in revenues each year isn’t going to help them out much either, it going to the few big pockets on top, not to the community. Good Job to Oak Park.
