As a Pacific Grove councilman in the mid-’90s, Terrence Zito led the charge to adopt the 1995 city ban on “formula fast food,” any quick-stop restaurant with a standardized menu and corporate design.
The four existing fast-food spots at the time – McDonald’s, Subway, Mountain Mike’s and Domino’s – got to stay. Since then, only one more has slipped in: Starbucks, which was permitted as part of the Forest Hill Safeway expansion.
But in 2009, the City Council decided to reconsider the fast-food ban as part of its five-year strategic plan. The city is now addressing that goal as part of its zoning code overhaul, according to Lynn Burgess, the city’s chief planner. On Dec. 7, the council directed the Planning Commission to retool the 17-year-old ban in an effort to diversify the city’s restaurants and stimulate economic development.
Now an activist with Pacific Grove Neighbors, Zito’s leading the resident push-back. “It’s my ordinance; I want it to protect the town,” he says. “I’m going to propose changing the wording of my own ordinance to make it stronger.”
His group’s opinion poll of 325 respondents found that well over 90 percent of residents, visitors and business owners agree.
The March 8 Planning Commission hearing brought a wave of fast-food opposition. Twenty-five people spoke against revising the ban, while only five were for it.
Among the concerns: competition with local independent restaurants, litter, low wages, aesthetics, health effects and impacts on the town’s character.
“The strongest economic driver in Pacific Grove is our restaurant industry. Why do we want to make it tougher for them to do business?” asks former Planning Commissioner Craig Riddell.
The commission formed a subcommittee to take a closer look at the issue.
Councilman Bill Kampe, who’s running for mayor in the November election, put the fast-food issue on the December council agenda. But in light of the opposition, he now feels the city should leave it alone. “This is an issue we should not be spending time on at this point,” he says. “The case has not been made why any franchise, anywhere in the city, helps the city.”
P.G. Chamber of Commerce President Moe Ammar has been similarly swayed, despite his board’s position in favor of eased restrictions. “Based on the input that we heard from our members, especially our restaurateurs, I’m certainly backing off,” he says, “and I’m advising the board that we need to back off downtown.”
Fast food might, however, make sense in the under-used American Tin Cannery mall and Forest Hill strip-mall, he adds. Mike Becker of Foursome Development, which represents the ATC, told the commission the ordinance has forced his company to turn away interested tenants including Myo Yogurt, Pinkberry, Quizno’s and Peet’s Coffee.
Downtown Business Improvement District chair Tom McMahon says despite the negative connotations of fast food, he thinks a less restrictive law would help draw more young people and families into the urban core.
“The mix of businesses we have downtown leave a lack of visitors, both local and tourists, especially in the late afternoon,” he says. “The Planning Commission and City Council should look at introducing fast food in a limited way to address those elements.”
The commission is scheduled to discuss the issue and make a recommendation to the council April 5.