Watsonville council approves downtown McDonald's

By Donna Jones

djones@santacruzsentinel.com @DonnaJonesSCS on Twitter

WATSONVILLE >> McDonald's is coming to downtown Watsonville.

The City Council approved construction of the fast food restaurant on Main Street near Riverside Drive on a 6-0 vote Tuesday.

"When you think about McDonald's, you probably think about Big Mac or Ronald McDonald," said Tila Guerrero, who, with son Martin, owns McDonald's restaurants at The Overlook shopping center and on Freedom Boulevard. "It's much more than that. We do sell food like hamburgers and fries, but also healthy options like salads."

Pitching the proposal for the new location, Guerrero said the company employs almost 150 people, and would likely add 75 more if the council approved the 24-hour drive-through restaurant. It serves lettuce and fresh fruit grown in the Pajaro Valley.

Watsonville is growing, Guerrero said. "We're growing together."

Residents praised the Guerreros for a business that is well run and supportive of the community in general and education in particular. Developers warned of sending the negative message to businesses who might want to invest in Watsonville.

But others expressed concern about traffic and questioned whether the city needed another fast food restaurant, especially at the edge of what's planned to be a more pedestrian friendly downtown.

Mayor Karina Cervantez, who was out of town, sent a letter to the council, arguing the project conflicted with the historic character of the downtown, the changes being made to revitalize the business district and the city's effort to promote healthy eating to curb an obesity epidemic among residents.

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Watsonville council approves downtown McDonald's