Site plan permit exemption granted for former McDonald's

San Diego County granted a site plan permit design review checklist exemption for the Main Avenue building, which had been a McDonald’s restaurant, in Fallbrook.

Kathleen Flannery is the acting director of the county’s Department of Planning and Development Services, as previous director Mark Wardlaw recently took position as the director of Walnut Creek’s Community Development Department. Flannery approved the exemption Friday, Jan. 29, although she said that any proposed signage would require subsequent community review and the granting of a minor deviation for the exemption.

The site plan consisted of 11 sheets of plans to expand the building to approximately 4,000 square feet and convert it into a two-level structure. The former McDonald’s would have both a main floor and a basement. The proposed changes would add 1,638 square feet to the building, including converting the patio and the drive-thru area into interior space along with adding 1,047 square feet to the structure.

The building is in the 1000 block of S. Main Avenue. Ross Rose owns both the building and the property where a laundromat is under construction. Although the laundromat is a separate project, the architecture and aesthetics for the former McDonald’s building will be coordinated with that facility, and the elevations of the two buildings will match.

The site plan permit design review checklist exemption is a discretionary action. Building permits are required to construct or alter a structure, and a building permit for the former McDonald’s will be granted upon application and compliance with a checklist. Permits will also be required for plumbing, electrical and mechanical work.

Construction must begin by Jan. 29, 2023, for the site plan permit design review checklist exemption to remain valid, as the exemption will expire on that day. A request to extend the time may be filed before that expiration date if needed.

The proposed exemption was reviewed by the Fallbrook Community Planning Group, Dec. 21, and a 14-0 vote recommended approval. The planning group will be given the opportunity to make a recommendation on the future signage.

Joe Naiman can be reached by email at [email protected].