This is a detriment to public health if another hamburger place is built. The same arguments of why this community did not want McDonald's applies to Fat Burger. We can wait a few more years for a better solution.

I would hope they would control the traffic from the bar next door. Too many people hang out in the parking lot now. I am a vegetarian and a choice of "semi" fast food might be OK, but I will probably eat else where. Tying up the property for 20 years is also a gamble for the Hahn's; so far the developments I have seen them propose have been GREEDY! and that is probably why their last coalition fell through. From the numbers so far .. residents don't like it. I live in Adams Point.

Beats what's already there. The Kwik Way is a blight.

Fat Burger should not be allowed to open in the location where Kwik Way currently presides. As a resident and community member of the Lakeshore/Greater Mandana area, I can demonstratively state that I will be voting an emphatic "No" on this proposed measure for the following reasons:

1) The neighborhood will be seriously devalued if a Fat Burger chain is allowed to set up shop. First, fast food restaurants typically diminish the aesthetic beauty of the area they inhabit by leading to an increase in garbage, heavy car traffic, and patrons with little respect for the surrounding environment. Second, a Fat Burger chain is ill-suited to the target market of Lakeshore avenue. With businesses such as Arizmendi, Mezze, Lakeshore Produce, and Trader
Joes, our community has a diverse and sophisticated consumer marketplace that should be encouraged, not diluted by an unoriginal and junky fast food chain. Third, if Fat Burger is added to that block, there will be two major fast food chains within 200 yards of each other (KFC is the other). This is not the proper protocol to increase the value of a community.

2) "Lean burgers" notwithstanding, there is nothing healthy about fried hamburgers or deep fried potatoes. If Fat Burger wishes to avoid the moniker of a "fast food restaurant", that's fine, but we, the public, will not be fooled so easily. According Webster's dictionary, fast food is defined as "designed for ready availability,
use, or consumption and with little consideration given to quality or significance ". As the definition suggests, Fat Burger would not make
a significant contribution to the quality of our community.

3) Lakeshore is a community that is transitioning and as a residents, we have the ability to create the neighborhood and area that we would like to see. We have the unique opportunity to create a special community that represents the diverse composition of its community members. Fat Burger does not represent the diversity of anything –
black owned or not. Although most of my young black friends eat burgers, we also like a variety of other options that Fat Burger could not fulfill. Moreover, we already have a burger restaurant next to the Hallmark store that is locally run and operated.

In closing, voting against Fat Burger does not mean that you favor a four-star restaurant that caters to only rich people. The vacant space need not be filled with a super fancy establishment only patronized by a few, but it also shouldn't be filled with an establishment that offers very little to our community. We are not that desperate for businesses that we have to take the fist offer.

No, for all of the same reasons that McDonalds was rejected in 2004. This wolf in sheep's clothing will be a scar on our neighborhood for the next twenty years. There are too many smart people in Oakland to let this happen. Together, we have done great things. Let’s reject this proposal and work with the Hahns to develop a solution that improves the neighborhood, while meeting their legitimate financial expectations.

KwikWay is such an eyesore and smells terrible. The place is filthy. If Fatburger wants to come in and clean up, I say we welcome them with open buns.

Kwik Way is disgusting, both in appearance and cuisine, and based on the almost 6 years I have lived here, it will continue to blight the neighborhood into the forseeable future while we wait for a policically acceptable development solution. If BofA won't give up the parking-lot, a multi-story mixed use building is politically and economically unlikely.
I signed the anti-McDonalds petition, but the time has come to do something with the site. We have the opportunity to have a locally-owned business, serving decent food and creating youth jobs (I worked in fast food as a teenager, it is a bad job but it is a job).
Some may not want a drive-through in the area, but the site is less than 100 feet from an eight lane freeway with on-ramps in both directions - if you are going to have a drive-through, this might be the most-transit friendly and ecologically sound place in all of Oakland to have one. And it will generate a maximum of about 1/10th of the traffic that the new Trader Joe's will, and I have yet to hear anyone in the neighborhood come out against that.

The block would be grossly improved if we could avoid another fast food restaurant. Not only does the Kwik Way and the Serenader create an abundance of litter, emissions from vehicles waiting to be served from the drive through, and sketchy characteres, we live in a community that already is challenged with obesity. Why would we want another fast food restaurant that serves "fat" burgers?

Let's work together to make the neighborhood more walkable. To do this, we need businesses that are interesting, buildings that are human scale, and sidewalks that are safe and clean.

Yes, I'll take "class" (FatBurger) over "crass" (continued Kwik Way) for our neighborhood -- any day!

I see no justification for grandfathering Kwik Way's lowclass fastfood burger joint, with its notoriously greasy & unhealthy food, its bad service, and, its blight of trash strewn on the ground. Especially not when given the chance to replace it with its more upscale rival, FatBurger, known for even longer history in CA, and, more importantly: far higher quality of product, service, and, ambiance.

Further, I specifically object to redevelopment proposals that incorporate mixed-use to include any residential housing there, whatsoever. The Kwik Way block gets constant car emissions from the adjacent busy 580 freeway (and commercial merchant districts). Recent news reports declare a proven link between Oakland's epidemic of asthma for children who live near freeways. Health risks are also significant for the adults who live next to freeways too. I believe it's outright wrong to defy this fact by building any new residential housing uses at that particular high-traffic site. I value the health of my Oakland neighbors above the health of developer profits! And we already have new mixed-use housing being developed despite community objections, at the nearby corner of Bellevue/Grand. Enough's enough!

Signed,
a longtime Adams Point Resident

Prefer something nicer but this would be an improvement all the same. Would like less vehicle traffic, more pedestrian-friendly environment. It would be great if there is some redesign of the parking lot to make it more pedestrian-friendly.

The owners, two developers, the city and neighbors have tried to put a mixed use site there -- it ain't happening. Unless very strong voices step up and OK a five-story (not four-story) building, then this site will need to stay all retail.

I wonder which traffic, gridlock, and road rage is more agreeable to the sensibilities of the residents of the Grand Lake area - that which will surely be caused by Trader Joe's, or that which would be caused by Fatburger? Despite the gentrification appeal factor, Trader Joe's (replacing a former grocery store at the same site) is no better an option than Fatburger (potentially replacing a burger joint at the same site) when it comes to traffic. Judging by the volume of business at their Emeryville and Alameda stores, Trader Joe's may well be the worst possible option for traffic. If neighborhood residents generally support the addition of Trader Joe's - and I hink they do - then the "increased traffic" argument against Fatburger does not hold water.

As I see it, the problem is not the possibility of Fatburger occupying the Qwikway site. The problem is the entire stretch of Lake Park; though it's the only viable connector between Grand and Lakeshore Avenues for pedestrians and cyclists, it is not at all user friendly to or safe for them. Whatever uses the Qwikway site and all of Lake Park support in the future, the block needs to be redeveloped in a way that keeps cars and pedestrians/cyclists in seperate, safe, spaces as much as possible.

To this end, whatever is done with the Qwikway site should be done in such a way as to discourage increased auto traffic and encourage increased pedestrian and bicycle traffic. For instance, don't allow a drive-thru and limit parking spaces to street only. Parking lots are the biggest waste of space in the urban landscape and, if freed up, could be replaced by any manner of useful enterprises - housing, commerce, parks, etc. If the parking lot is eliminated, the site could support both a Fatburger *and* other uses that generate sorely needed revenue for the City.

I have no problem with a chain as long as the visual architecture fits in with the neighborhood. If they said they'd do a Fatburger with neighborhood-like visuals that would be fine, but like almost every other chain I suspect they're going to have big bright-colored plastic signage (all their other stores do, that I've seen). This is too important a spot, across from the farmer's market and with a lot of traffic. I consider a step DOWN from the run-down place there now.

I'm an Oakland voter in the 'hood who votes ... and who votes generally because of issues like these. I'll be watching ... and thanks for asking Pat.

-Brian

What makes you want to spend time in some parts of the city and not others? It's areas that have some sort of charm that attract people and therefore make local shops thrive. A Fatburger won't enhance the charm of this civic space at all. It will be just another soulless franchise. Come on, let's get something good here, let's cultivate our civic space.

Like the Trader Joe's, successful new businesses will encourage other businesses to locate in the Grand Lake Theatre neighborhood. Accepting blight for several years because you'd prefer something other than a fast food establishment hinders further development of the area. The better opportunity some people prefer will be encouraged by Fatburger's success--along with Trader Joe's and other new businesses.

This is an area already occupied by businesses. Why are you so adamant about keeping out new ones that add convenience and alternatives in our neighborhood? We need more choices of places to eat, buy food and shop so that we can stay here and support our community. Why not a Trader Joe's or Whole Foods as well as Fatburger. I have never quite understood the psyche of the bay area that prohibits new development, economic growth and neighborhood rehabilitation. Isn't it time to come into the 21st century here???

fatburger is a great restaurant, offering the best burgers found anywhere (yes, barney's included). of all the things so cal, they're the one thing i miss most about my years down south. if they build it, it'll not only become an asset to a vibrant community by bringing jobs to the area, but also allow me to get a great burger without having to drive to pleasant hill to get one.

McDonalds was an obvious no, but there is some value in allowing someone to come in and put some money into that space. The building is a beautiful example of the type of distinctly mid-century American architecture that has been driven out of Oakland by gentrification and lack of vision. If certain conditions are met, I would be willing to see Fatburger there. It's odd that this is so controversial, seeing as T-Mobile (not to mention Gap, Blockbuster and Trader Joe's) represents a much more (neon pink) threat to the viability of a localized shopping district where the money doesn't go to corporate headquarters out of the community.

My initial reaction is posted at the end. After reading others' arguments, I have revised my opinion/vote from a "maybe" to a "no."

I was most persuaded by the following observations made by others:

1. Putting in another drive-thru that will be used MUCH more than the current one, will make Lake Park even more pedestrian unfriendly (and I am one of those stroller pushing mommies who often uses Lake Park to get to the Post Office and shops on Grand).

2. People dining in a fast food restaurant are unikely to be those who live in and care about the neighborhood...so we will likely see a huge uptick in garbage and wrappers thrown around.

3. The traffic and potential back-up to get in and out of there will likely be ugly (like the traffic on Grand getting in to and out of the Ace parking lot on the weekends).

I, too, would like to see something more creative...though I do agree with some of the comments about avoiding something too "Disney" (like Bay Street). The idea of a sit down eatery sounds appealing. An excellent pizza restaurant would be nice. Many of the other ideas that others suggested were appealing as well.

We have a history now on Lakeshore of asking for and attracting businesses that we support (most recently Trader Joe's, but 10 years ago we wrote letters and ASKED Starbucks to come...). Perhaps we can achieve something by holding out a little longer.

Original comment:

It seems to be the lesser of a couple of evils, but I am concerned about traffic. We are already going to see an increase in traffic for Trader Joe's (which is good for the other businesses on Lakeshore and potentially a pain in the neck for those of us who live in the neighborhood)...so adding more traffic to the Fatburger may just be too much. I am not sure.

Please stop our neighborhood from being hijacked by tacky shops and fast food joints that cater to people who don't even live in our neighborhood.

Why can't the residents of our neighborhood have shops and restaurants that WE would actually use instead of having to drive to Emeryville or Rockridge?

We do have some wonderful shops and restaurants, like Mezze's, Arizmendi's, Lakeshore Deli Cafe, Urban Indigo, Juniper Tree, Michael Mischner's Chocolates (on Grand), but we have so many more tacky fast food restaurants and tasteless shops in our neighborhood. Who in our neighborhood actually needs 9 nail salons on Lakeshore and Grand, and who actually shops at Wigs and Braids and Dirt Cheap Discount Matresses (on Grand)? Let's take back our neighborhood!

The people that shop at the Farmer's Market across the street are not going to be the ones lining up at Fatburger.

A Fatburger would definitely increase traffic and mostly by people who don't live here. If there's going to be an increase in traffic, then let's at least make it worth it for our neighborhood!