A progressive California city told In-N-Out Burger to keep driving Monday night after residents branded drive-thrus “pollution monsters.”
After more than an hour of heated testimony, the Culver City Council voted 4-0 to extend an emergency moratorium on new drive-thru restaurants for another 10 months and 15 days.
The extension blocks the city from approving any new projects, including the proposed In-N-Out on Sepulveda Boulevard, while planners draft a ordinance that could permanently prohibit them citywide.
Councilmember Dan O’Brien recused himself from the vote. The controversy centers on what would become Culver City’s first new drive-thru restaurant since 1997.
In-N-Out wants to build a 3,890-square-foot restaurant. The proposal includes seating for 128 customers, a 61-space parking lot and a drive-thru lane designed to hold 26 vehicles.
The restaurant would operate from 10:30 a.m. until 1 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and until 1:30 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
The company has pitched the project as an economic boost, promising well-paying jobs, additional sales tax revenue and a landscaped development that would serve nearby residents.
It has also argued the restaurant would provide a late-night dining option for police officers, healthcare workers and other overnight employees.
Residents painted a dire picture of what another drive-thru would bring.
Speaker after speaker said the proposed In-N-Out would bring more traffic, longer lines of idling vehicles, dirtier air and additional safety risks for pedestrians, particularly children walking to nearby schools.
“We don’t need them,” resident Theresa Klemick told councilmembers, saying the proposed restaurant would have “impacted that neighborhood so, so terribly.”
Resident Leah Pressman called drive-thrus “pollution monsters,” arguing they have become outdated in an era of food delivery, curbside pickup and online ordering.
Cynthia Miller questioned why Culver City needs another drive-thru when it already has nine, saying vehicle emissions contribute to harmful air pollution linked to serious health problems.
Only one resident spoke in favor of allowing the project to move forward. Neighbor Knox Gagnon argued fears surrounding the proposed In-N-Out were overblown.
He noted the drive-thru was designed to hold 26 vehicles before backing up on to nearby streets and said many modern vehicles automatically shut off while idling. He also argued the location would be easily accessible by bus, bicycle and on foot.
Councilmember Albert Vera acknowledged he initially supported bringing an In-N-Out to the neighborhood.
“I didn’t really see an issue with having an In-N-Out,” Vera said. But after months of hearing from residents, he said they changed his mind.
“I think I have an obligation to the community,” Vera said. “Sometimes it’s not a bad idea to change your mind, to listen to the community.”
Lefty Mayor Freddy Puza said the vote was about much more than one burger chain.
He argued Culver City’s General Plan 2045 calls for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving air quality, creating safer streets and encouraging walking, biking and public transit.
He also pointed to cities including Santa Barbara and South Pasadena, which have prohibited new drive-thrus for decades, while Long Beach has adopted restrictions on where they can be built.
Vice Mayor Bubba Fish called Monday’s vote the next step toward a permanent ordinance, noting the original 45-day moratorium approved in June was intended to give the city enough time to rewrite its zoning code.
The proposal now heads to the Planning Commission, which will consider a permanent citywide ban on new drive-thrus before sending a recommendation back to the City Council for a final vote.
If approved, the ordinance would leave Culver City’s existing drive-thrus untouched while preventing any new ones from being built.
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