Fasching's Car Wash in Arcadia and other independent car wash owners may lose thousands of dollars because major oil companies will no longer sell gasoline to car washes who don't pump at least 150,000 gallons of gas per month.
George Fasching, former city council member and owner of Fasching's Car Wash in Arcadia for the last 31 years, may have to stop selling gas at his business due to a state mandate, set to go into effect next April, requiring California gas station owners to purchase between $20,000 and $80,000 in new equipment to further reduce vapor emissions at the pump.
George Fasching, shown in a photo, is no longer selling gas at Fasching's Car Wash in Arcadia because he is unwilling to comply with a state mandate, effective April 1, 2009, that requires gas station owners to purchase new equipment to reduce vapor emissions at the pump.
The Arcadia City Council approved the design for a proposed addition to the new car showroom at Rusnak Mercedes-Benz. The dealer wants to build a two-story, 2644 square feet addition to the southeast corner of the showroom. The City council approved additions to other businesses as well.
Rusnak, a luxury car dealership in Pasadena is moving one of its franchises to Arcadia. The operation will sell new and pre-owned Mercedes-Benz models at 55 W. Huntington Dr.
Church in Arcadia will move to land formerly occupied by the city's mounted police at 630 E. Live Oak Avenue. Church in Arcadia is currently at 21 Morlan Place, the former site of Arc Bowl and Arcadia Bowling, which closed in the late 1970s. This deal was done to try to keep neighbor Rusnak Mercedes Benz, the city's largest sales tax generator, from moving to another city.
City officials resume talks with Rusnak Mercedes-Benz about its expansion now that Measure B has passed. The Church in Arcadia will move to Live Oak Street.
The City Council will vote on approval of a property acquisition plan with Rusnak Arcadia tonight. The opposition, comprised of seven former mayors, don't want Redevelopment Agency money to help a private business buy five nearby properties.
Arcadia's largest individual sales tax producer, Rusnak Mercedes Benz, announced it wants to move out of Arcadia. It would mean an estimated loss of $800,000 to the City. Having faced expansion roadblocks, Rusnak says the City hasn't been able to deliver the acreage and properties as promised. The announcement came as a shock to City Manager Bill Kelly who knew nothing about it.
The Arcadia Redevelopment Agency adopted a resolution approving the land acquisition and development agreement to help Paul Rusnak buy five sites for his Mercedes Benz dealership expansion. The Arcadia Elks Lodge doesn't want to move.
Cal Tech student William Jensen Cottrell, allegedly connected with an ecoterrorist group in connection with vandalism at Rusnak Mercedes-Benz and other car dealershships in the San Gabriel Valley, was arrested by the FBI.
Manny Romero, owner of Rod's Grill, has initiated Measure A to try to block the Rusnak Mercedes Benz automobile dealership from expanding. The city has put out a counter measure, Measure B, to citizens to vote on at the May 8 election.
Rusnak Motors gets a 6-month extension to its exception from ARA 172, a resolution that prohibits car sales unless new cars are also sold. The Council also acted to amend the central business district ordinance to allow service stations with a conditional use permit.
FBI officials have new leads after viewing a videotape of two men vandalizing San Gabriel Valley auto dealerships, including Rusnak Mercedes-Benz in Arcadia. ELF has claimed responsibility for the vandalism on SUVs and Hummers vehicles.
The expansion of Rusnak Mercedes-Benz, Arcadia's largest sales tax generator, still faces hurdles. The Church of Arcadia has agreed to move from 21 Morlan Place, but it has encountered delays with the county's plan checks. The City of Arcadia still needs to acquire Rod's Grill at 41 W. Huntington Drive, but proprietor Manny Romero has not accepted any of the city's numerous offers. Tom Valasek, director of marketing at Rusnak Auto Group says the dealership will have to move if the city cannot deliver the land for the expansion plan.
Rusnak Mercedes-Benz has moved from Pasadena to the old Foulger Ford property at 55 W. Huntington Drive in Arcadia. A photo shows city officials and top business people at the ribbon cutting on the site.
The City of Pasadena may seek lost sales tax revenue from Rusnak Mercedes-Benz, a business that relocated from Pasadena to Arcadia four years ago. Pasadena officials think Arcadia may have used the promise of an expansion loan as an enticement when Rusnak first considered leaving Pasadena. Arcadia officials deny it.
As the city council election approaches, another main platform besides the controversial proposed mall development, The Shops at Santa Anita, that candidates can run on is the use of eminent domain. Current controversy surrounds the use of eminent domain to help Rusnak expand the Mercedes-Benz dealership.
The City of Arcadia has acquired half of the land originally promised for Rusnak's Mercedes Benz expansion. Arcadia Self-Storage and Church in Arcadia are selling to the city but the Elks Lodge and Rod's Grill refused to sell. The city expects Rusnak to produce a minimum of $700,000 each year in sales tax for 10 years, or until the loan is repaid.