The City of Arcadia has contracted with Gonzalez Goodale Architects to plan for a new City Hall. Both Upper and Lower City Hall buildings will be torn down after completion of the new facility.
Architectural drawings and the design for the new Arcadia City Hall have drawn criticism from the City Council. The new City Hall building is estimated to cost $11 million.
The City Council approved a contract with Rokni Electric for a new 800 Kilowatt generator and a new telephone system (not to exceed $342,251) from SBC-Pacific Bell for City Hall. A contract with Systems Source Inc. for furnishings for the new police station was also approved. The City Librarian job title was changed to Director of Library and Museum Services.
Three girls wearing identical dress costumes and ballet shoes, in dance poses outside Arcadia City Hall. There is a fountain behind the girls that no longer exists. The City Hall tile mosaic wall (mural) depicting Arcadia history, by artist Jay Rivkin, is seen in the background (noted November 27, 2013-the murals had been covered by stucco for many years but were restored this year).
Arcadia High School student and activist Hailey Cheng creates a climate change petition that can be seen at petitions.whitehouse.gov asking President Donald Trump to recognize climate change and stop rollback of environmental policies.
City of Arcadia will reopen City Hall and other facilities to the public as part of the Safer At Work and in the Community Order issued by Los Angeles County. Beginning June 15, open facilities now include City Hall, Arcadia Fire Department, Public Works, and city parks and open spaces. The Arcadia Police Department, Community Center, Arcadia Public Library and Museum remain closed. Arcadia City Council meetings will still be conducted virtually in June.
CDC optimism is a shot in the arm. New guidelines ease restrictions on vaccinated people. On Saturday, March 13, Maitely Weissman, cofounder of Essential Caregivers Coalition, and other grassroots activists will be marching at 1:00 PM at Arcadia Community Regional Park, while socially distanced, to honor those who have died in long-term care facilities since the March 13, 2020 visitation ban and those who are isolated inside. The "honor walk" in Arcadia is part of a series of coordinated events across 17 states in commemoration of the anniversary of the ban.
Lower Arcadia City Hall walkway that leads to the upper part of City Hall. Notice no murals on the walls, they have not been uncovered yet. 240 West Huntington Drive. Photograph by Terry Miller.
Concert in the Park, outside on Arcadia City Hall lawn, featuring the band Alumni Acoustic. Band members are alumni of Arcadia High School. They perform rock music and folk music.
Environmental activists plan to block work crews from clearing 179 oak and sycamore trees, north of Arcadia. Bob Spencer, spokesman for the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works, confirmed that construction would begin this morning to clear the 11 acres of trees, to make room for an estimated 500 cubic yards of sediment from Santa Anita Dam, as well as debris from seven other area catch basins. Spencer said, "The purpose behind this project is public safety; the damn built in 1927 does not meet seismic standards. Arcadia city manager Don Penman hopes that the several hundred thousand cubic yards of extra capacity is not an invitation for frequent trucking from other basins.
Los Angeles County keeps environmental activists and media off the site where the 11 acres of oak tree woodlands are being bulldozed near Wilderness Park. It is called Santa Anita Dam Sediment Placement Site. Activists were unable to save the area from becoming a debris basin. See related story "Razing woodland: protesters watch as trees are cut down" Pasadena Star News, January 13, 2011, p. A1, A7.
Bulldozers finished demolishing the 11 acres of oak tree woodlands in Arcadia, at the Los Angeles County Santa Anita Dam Sediment Placement Site yesterday. Four environmental activists, called "tree-sitters," were booked on trespassing and obstruction, then were later released. Los Angeles County Public Works said demolishing the 179 trees to make room for sediment dredged from nearby dams is a flood control effort necessary to ensure public safety. The bitter debate continues. Activists claim the project was not transparent to the public and media.
Los Angeles County supervisor Mike Antonovich plans to set aside $650,000 of county funds to re-seed the oak woodland habitat in Arcadia that was demolished last week for flood control purposes, after mud and debris dredged from the Santa Anita Dam has been spread at the site. Bob Spencer, spokesman for Los Angeles County Department of Public Works, said there is much more debris poised to come down the hills and "We need to find a solution." Other county wilderness areas face destruction to make way for sediment. Officials are already considering the relocation of sediment from Devil's Gate Dam, which could end up on a 40-acre mature black willow woodland in the Hahamongna Watershed Park. Environmental activists won't let that happen without a fight.
