The City Council voted to allow the developer, Anoakia Oaks, to proceed with the tearing down of Anoakia, the 1913 Anita Baldwin mansion, and to build 31 houses on the property.
View across storm drain which runs north and south across property at Anoakia, west of mansion and swimming pool. Building on right of picture is school.
The hearing by the Planning Commission on the Anoakia property has been put off until a later date. Some specifics of what Mr. McCaslin will seek when the hearing is scheduled are given.
Lowery McCaslin, owner of Anoakia, has asked that his application for a general plan change for the property be withdrawn. He has been working with a local builder who has a good feel for the area and would like to develop the property at a density of 2.4 homes per acre. Late in this same meeting, the council voted to change the zoning on the estate to match the existing general plan. What this might do to future McCaslin plans is not clear.
Residents fighting to save the historic Anoakia mansion from development lost a court battle, as a judge upheld the city's decision to allow demolition of the property.
Arcadia Planning Commission has approved a zone change for the Anoakia property from R-O 30,000 to R-O and D 22,000. The zone change will allow owner Lowrey McCaslin to develop the 19.13 acre site with 29 to 32 homes instead of 23.
An informal committee of some 15 people was initiated by the Arcadia Historical Society in mid-September in an effort to preserve the old Anoakia School site, now that the school has relocated to Duarte.
Public hearing on Anoakia-area zone change allows citizen input. Hearing is on a Planning Commission resolution recommending approval of a zone change from R-0 30,000 to R-0 30,000 and D for the Anoakia area. This means that residential lots must contain at least 30,000 square feet. The D stands for "design overlay," which gives the property owners' association an opportunity to review architectural plans for development.
Aerial view, of Anita M. Baldwin's former estate known as Anoakia, looking south. Address was at 701 West Foothill Boulevard in Arcadia, when it was the Anoakia School. Any use of this image must be credited "Photograph by David Stevens. Copyright David Stevens."
