Denny’s CEO Considers Firing up the Old Windmill in 2016 – Thanks to George Fasching…
By Terry Miller
A few weeks ago we told you about an ambitious plan former mayor George Fasching has to get the the old windmill atop of Denny’s restaurant on the corner of Huntington and Santa Anita moving again, like it once did.
Van de Kamp’s Holland Dutch Bakery, founded in 1915, was a Los Angeles institution for much of the twentieth century. Its trademark Dutch windmill appeared on its bakeries and coffee shops across the region, but today only one windmill survives intact, atop a Denny’s in Arcadia.
Fasching penned a letter to Denny’s CEO requesting they seriously consider his proposal. Arcadia Weekly published an in-depth, front page story on the proposition December 3.
The overwhelming result of the publicity proved, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Fasching’s outline was a big hit with the community, city officials, et al. Arcadia Weekly published numerous letters praising George Fasching.
Well, on Dec 30, a couple of weeks after the initial letter, George Fasching received a response from Stephen Dunn, Senior Vice President on Chief Global Development Officer for the Denny’s Corporation. We, in turn, received a copy of the letter from Dunn via FedEx.
The letter states that the company is “ happy to explore the possibility of reactivating the windmill on top of our company restaurant in Arcadia.”
Dunn goes on to say…” What a surprise to hear the support from the community for such a project. We thank you for bringing this to our attention with your letter and the article in the Arcadia Weekly.”
According to LA Conservancy, the building was completed in 1967 and was designed by Pasadena architects Harold Bissner and Harold Zook. It features a large update of the company’s Dutch windmill sitting atop the building’s circular folded-plate roof.
You have to hand it to former Mayor of Arcadia, George Fasching: Not only does he keep our horseless carriages shining brightly while en-route to a Day at The Races, but he’s always on top of what is good for the business community at-large, specifically downtown Arcadia.
City Manager Dominic Lazzareto told Arcadia Weekly… “Yes, I believe the City would support the idea of returning the windmill to its original status.”
“On the technical front, Denny’s would need to get a modification from our sign regulations (the Code now prohibits moving signs and, believe it or not, the windmill would be considered a sign). The modification should be pretty simple to approve given the unique and historic nature of the building.”
In closing, Steven Dunn told George Fasching “ This will be a fun endeavor for us to start in 2016 as we engage with the city and appropriate vendors to assess the scope of the project.
Congratulations to George for getting the ball ( er, Windmill) rolling again!
