A recent comment by a Township councillor that the proposed re-design of the Aldergrove McDonald鈥檚 restaurant is 鈥渦gly鈥� is deflecting attention from a vacant lot that was once occupied by another fast-food outlet, a fellow Township councillor said.鈥淲e should be more concerned about the dismal state of the abandoned Burger King, rather than the new corporate look of McDonald鈥檚,鈥� Councillor Bob Long commented.At Township council鈥檚 Jan. 31 meeting, Councillor Kim Richter described the design of McDonald鈥檚 exterior facelift as 鈥渦gly,鈥� prompting the fast-food chain to take another look.In a later interview, Long cautioned against being too critical of a business that is trying to refresh its look.鈥淲e are being overly critical of a business that鈥檚 trying to do what it can and we need to attract those kinds of people to Aldergrove,鈥� said Long, who lives and runs a business in the town.Being critical 鈥渟ends the wrong message鈥� when what the town and council have done is to be positive and encouraging 鈥渁nd shows that we are open to new ideas.鈥濃�淚 think we have to continue with the message that Aldergrove is the place to invest,鈥� he added.Since the Burger King and an adjacent gas station vacated their premises several years ago, the property has remained vacant, with the restaurant鈥檚 windows boarded up.Soil remediation was carried out a few years ago where the gas station was located.The Township has worked with the owner to ensure that the property is safe, said Stephen Richardson, manager of development services.There have been no inquiries to develop the property, Richardson said.Township records show that the Burger King property, 26426 Fraser Hwy., is owned by AT Fortune Holdings of Brookswood.
