Arcadia Planning Commission denies 2236 Hollis Lane project, citing the applicant's lack of effort in finding a middle ground between the developers and the neighbors that oppose it. The applicant Marvin Fong aims to replace a 624 square-foot home with a 2500 square-foot home. Many Arcadians are concerned with "oversized" homes.
Residents irate over plans for a mansion at 2235 Hollis Lane by designer Marvin Fong. The proposed project violates several provisions in the city's zoning code and is nearly 3x the size of homes in the neighborhood.
Zoning codes: Arcadia measure on mansionization qualifies for ballot. If adopted the initiative would create a citywide floor area ratio (FAR) which would set much tighter restrictions on square footage. Lisa Mussenden said it could be on the ballot as soon as November 2016 or as late as April 2018. Saving Arcadia is the group behind the initiative.
Los Angeles County Public Works is scheduled to clear 11.3 acres of pristine native oak woodland to dump tons of sediment dredged from Santa Anita Dam. Glen Owens, a founder of the Big Santa Anita Historical Society and a Monrovia planning commissioner, hopes it's not too late for a grass roots effort to oppose or at least postpone the project. The sediment dump would be entirely in Arcadia.
Saving Arcadia, the anti-mansionization group, sues City over controversial two-story home proposed at 1101 S. Fifth Avenue. Lawsuit alleges the project violates California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
Arcadia residents hoping to vote to curb home sizes. Groups want city to have a lot less 'mansionization' and are circulating a petition for a ballot initiative that aims to set square footage regulations for new residential development projects.
Anti-mansionization goes to the ballot. Zoning code issue continues as anti-mansionization group Saving Arcadia (an outgrowth of Save the Arcadia Highlands) takes it to the ballot in April 2018. At issue are Floor Area Ratios (FAR). See also Arcadia Weekly, p. 1, 17, April 7, 2016-initiative did not make it onto ballot because of signature discrepancy.
Arcadia resident David Tran, the founder of Huy Fong Foods, which makes Sriracha chili hot sauce, was on hand at the first ever Sriracha Festival in Los Angeles. Tran founded the company 33 years ago, after emigrating as a refugee from Vietnam.
Proposed two-story home at 1101 S. Fifth Avenue causes kerfuffle. At this week's Arcadia City Council meeting, the project's neighbors appealed the Planning Commission's decision to approve the design of the 3588 s.f. house. Neighbors complain of loss of light and privacy. In a 3-2 vote, the Planning Commission's decision was upheld on the conditions that the owner remove windows on the north and south sides of the second floor.
Ugly side of politics--a letter naming Arcadia city councilman Sho Tay claims Arcadia property value will fall 30 percent because of the new zoning recommendations that City Council is considering. Sho Tay denies the letter came from him.
Resident David Fong and Arcadia Police Chief Robert Guthrie address recent Arcadia school lockdowns. Highland Oaks School had been put on lockdown while Arcadia police searched for suspects in a residential robbery. Arcadia Unified School District has only one school resource officer and Fong asked the city to seriously consider additional safety measures at Arcadia schools.
69-year-old Arcadia resident David Tran is the owner of Huy Fong Foods, the maker of Sriracha hot sauce. Huy Fong Foods should be operational in a new $50 million, 650,000 s.f. factory in Irwindale, by September. The factory is moving from Rosemead.
Irwindale officials said Huy Fong Foods (the maker of the popular Sriracha hot chili sauce) can continue operations at its plant as long as it doesn't smell. Huy Fong officials said if forced to shut down, 200,000 fewere bottles would be produced per day. David Tran, CEO and founder, is an Arcadia resident.
City of Irwindale dismisses public nuisance declaration against Huy Fong Foods, the maker of Sriracha hot sauce/chili sauce. Owner David Tran is an Arcadia resident.
Ballot initiative targeting large scale homes in Arcadia (often referred to as McMansions) will not make it on the ballot after all. The city clerk's office discovered a discrepancy in the number of qualifying signatures. Saving Arcadia is the local activist group behind the initiative.
Songwriter and composer Marvin Hamlisch dies at age 68. He had been the Principal conductor of Pasadena Pops Orchestra. His last concert was July 21 at the Los Angeles County Arboretum.
Judge tells City of Irwindale to just chill out. Request to have Huy Fong Foods' Sriracha chili hot sauce factory shut down was denied. Owner David Tran is an Arcadia resident.
Los Angeles Superior Court judge Robert O'Brien rejects the City of Irwindale's request to shut down production of Sriracha hot chili sauce at Huy Fong Foods' factory. The city has said Huy Fong should be shut down temporarily until the company addresses foul odors believed to be coming from the North Azusa Canyon Road factory. David Tran, CEO and founder, is an Arcadia resident.
Parents and children rallied at three Arcadia middle schools, in an effort to prevent the potential layoffs of 105 Arcadia Unified School District (AUSD) teachers and staff, blamed on an anticipated budget shortfall of at least $2 million next school year. Since the campaign started in late January, Arcadia Educational Foundation (AEF) has raised about $225,000, which will be presented to the AUSD. That is enough to save 3 teachers' positions.
Battle heats up over odors coming from Huy Fong Foods' (maker of Sriracha chili sauce) Irwindale factory. The City of Irwindale demanded the company curb smells coming from the Azusa Canyon Road factory or cease operations. If production is halted due to a court order, the price of Sriracha will likely go up. Residents have complained of headaches and irritation to eyes and throats. Adam Holliday, Huy Fong's director of operations, is committed to solving the problem. The company's owner David Tran is an Arcadia resident.