The Pasadena Board of Zoning voted 3-2 Wednesday to allow a Chick-fil-A to open across the street from PCC, a plan strongly opposed by the college administration because of the fried chicken company’s financial support of anti-gay groups.
(Charles Winners/Courier)
“I’m exceptionally disappointed,” Student Trustee Simon Fraser said. “I’m deeply concerned that every concern that I raised and every PCC student that was here raised fell completely on deaf ears.”
Although the Board of Trustees doesn’t have an official position on the Chick-fil-A yet, Senior Vice President Robert Miller said at the public hearing that he, President Mark Rocha and other administration members had a responsibility of working within the scope of the college community, which includes many LGBT students.
“For me, Chick-fil-A is more than a corporation expressing their opinion,” PCC student Bernard Noi said. “For me, it is a symbol that has supported organization that tell me that I should not be happy with who I am. I fear for my friends. They already live stressful lives…This could push them over the edge.”
The restaurant was originally approved by Pasadena to start up in December last year. However, Pasadena City Councilman Terry Tornek appealed the approval, according to Annabella Atendido, the Associate Planner for Pasadena.
Chick-fil-A developer supervisor Jennifer Daw said Wednesday that the Chick-fil-A would help the community by providing 50 to 60 new full-time and part-time jobs in the area and would improve the aesthetics of the location. She said that it would be more inviting than the dilapidated building at the location formerly occupied by Burger King.
The Zoning Board was mainly concerned with the removal of two trees on the property and expanding the current drive-thru. Zoning laws in Pasadena currently prohibit any new drive-thru being built for restaurants. Chick-fil-A applied for a permit for the expansion of the drive-thru, which was approved by the Board.
Fraser said he isn’t finished fighting the restaurant.
“I plan to contact the councilman for the area in which PCC resides and request that it be pulled again,” Fraser said.
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https://www.whitehouse.gov/ Please sign.
I like Stevie’s idea the best. I have always loved you Stevie Matchanian!!!!
JD
So many reasons not to have a Chick-fil-a in Pasadena, and especially across from PCC:
The noise from the parking lot for residents.
The horrible treatment of chickens in factory farming, and the accompanying health threats that brings to consumers.
The additional vehicle congestion from keeping a drive-thru in an area where they are supposed to be prohibited.
The direct, expensive bankrolling of hate and inequality by the Chik-fil-a corporation itself.
The nasty recipes, loaded with salt, fat, calories and all sorts of other dubious treasures.
Just so many reasons to say no. Why couldn’t they put something decent in here, for goodness sake! PCC is a wonderful school, and I don’t like seeing it bracketed in by such a socially bankrupt and unhealthy business.
Thomas Puckett
(PCC GLSU past member/vp 1999/2000)
(also FYI the other speaker was Bernard Moy)
If you’re worried about salt, fat, and sugar then you better not eat at restaurants at all. The selections at Burger King were pretty unhealthy, too. If you’re concerned about cruelty to animals, then you might as well never see a movie again. Read the sensational piece in the Hollywood Reporter “No Animals Were Harmed” about animals killed on movie sets. I can’t believe that 70 horses died during the filming of “Ben Hur”. You also won’t want to see “Captain America, Winter Soldier”, “Transformers”, “The Amazing Spiderman 2” or any other CGI-laden film after watching the you-tube docu “Life of Pi”, which is about the horrible working conditions for CGI artists.
^ I think this is what the kids call ‘trolling’.
no betty, it’s called a counter-point, and it’s a valid one too.
LOL at all of the hater-aid
Where was all the protesting when Burger King was still in business?
Tolerance and freedom of speech ONLY so long as they agree with your views?
OK for LGBT community to protest “HATE CHICKEN”, but not OK for Chick-Fil-A to support traditional family values and close on Sundays to attend church?
Not agreeing =/= hate
I agree Thomas
Dear PICKET……
I you reallly want to picket, just insert any index finger up your nose, grab a few of your green brain cells and PULL!!
As a college security guard, it is my sworn (?) duty to keep the peace and find resolve in matters of intense conflict like this one. Daily I put my life on the line and demand to be heard. I have considered this problem to the extent my high school education permits. We guards at PCC also have opinions, rights and appetites. So, may I suggest a shop that sells chicken flavored donuts?
So let’s recap: The anti-Christian PCC leadership’s opinion about a chicken shack does is not considered by City leadership. Shocking.
I’m really annoyed with PCC. I thought we lived in a free country. Since when is it any colleges’ business, what the owner of a private company that has nothing to do with the school, believes or what organizations he supports? The students and the PCC administration who aren’t in agreement with the views the owner of Chick-fil-a holds, need to be tolerant themselves. It’s a free country, with freedom of religion. So if some religious views say a gay lifestyle is sinful, people who hold those beliefs should have the right to make a living and have businesses. No one is forcing anyone to go to Chick-fil-a. How would PCC feel and it’s LGBT students also, if the shoe were in the other foot? How would they feel if companies were protesting their pro-gay lifestyle views and trying to keep them from running their business, or in this case, school? Stop throwing a hissy fit or tantrum. Get over it. Not everyone thinks gay is okay. That doesn’t mean it’s okay to hate anyone and prohibit their freedoms and persecute them…but that goes both ways. Chick-fil-a has been persecuted, picked on and given a bad rap by the media, just because of it’s stance on traditional family values. Shame on those people who are hypocritical and who say that those who are not for pro-gay agendas, are intolerant and hateful. Yet they themselves are intolerant of those who hold on to traditional family values and other conservative points of view.
I don’t with there being a Chick fil-A in Pasadena and near PCC. We could use the better food and Pasadena could use the jobs. Most people I talk to don’t have a problem with it either. So why this article says “every PCC student” I find that asa false. Not to mention Simon Fraser doesn’t come from the US. To quote the movie mean girls “Do you even go here? Okay go home..”
I don’t *have a problem* with
LOL–this is no time to be anti-business. Avon closed, Barnes and Noble closed (I hope nobody is against Tesla moving to that location), Blockbuster is gone, Borders closed, and probably Sears will be gone in 10 years.
it is time to be anti-business when the business is intolerant of people
billy beans,
how can a business that hasn’t even opened be deemed “intolerant of people”?
a mojor point that seems to be consistently missed is that chick-fil-a restaurants are independently owned franchises. a pasadena resident is trying to start their own business. we should be clear-headed and in full support of such a thing.
What does Simon Fraser’s lack of being birthed in the US of A have to do with it? You know he’s the Student Trustee, right?
P I C K E T !
Chick Fillet, Go Away.