Goodbye 50-year-old sequoia trees. Hello Marriott development. Santa Anita Inn, including some 50-year-old healthy Seqoia trees, will be demolished for the development of a Marriott hotel with 220 rooms. The Sierra Club thinks minimal consideration was given to the ecology or preservation of the environment. Jason Kruckeberg, Assistant City Manager, addressed the environmental concern, stating the city followed a "compliance process (in 2014) with the California Environment Quality Act (CEQA)."
Arcadia Seabiscuit Pacifica Project-Phase 2 calls for revised mixed-use project. Arcadia City Council decided on July 3 they want to see more artists' renderings of what Phase 2 will ultimately look like, before going ahead with the $300 million hotel project on the former Santa Anita inn site. The applicant Chateau Group is also requesting to merge the two abutting properties a 100 and 180 West Huntington Drive into the Specific Plan area and change the General Plan Land use Designation from "Commercial with Downtown Overlay" to "Downtown Mixed Use," to revise the General Plan Land Use Map to reflect the changes, rezone the properties from "General Commercial with Downtown Overlay" to "Seabiscuit Pacifica Specific Plan," and include a Height Overlay of H8 on 180 West Huntington Drive to allow a portion of the mixed-use building on that property. The Santa Anita Inn was a 2-story hotel comprised of 6 buildings, 110 rooms, 34,775 s.f., that was originally constructed in 1955 and remodeled in 1985.
"Baby factories" in Arcadia? City of Arcadia forms a task force to look into the matter of motels, such as Santa Anita Inn, and residential homes, being used to house expectant mothers from overseas, particularly China. These women want their children born in the U.S. to garner citizenship for that child.
California State Treasurer John Chiang and Arcadia leaders shower accolades at the groundbreaking of Le Meridien, One Gallop Way. It is a $300 million hotel and mixed-use development on seven acres, opposite Santa Anita Park race track. Developer Chateau Group USA held the ceremonal groundbreaking on June 27. Le Meridien is a Marriott brand. CEO Eric Chen spoke. Architects Orange, interior design firm Linda Snyder Associates and construction company Snyder Langston have been tapped to work this project. To open in 2020.
Santa Anita Dam sediment project is nearly complete but residents and activists continue to question Los Angeles County's intentions for demolishing the 11-acre Arcadia Woodlands 1.5 years ago. Following the removal of the trees on January 12, 2011, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works has been moving mud and debris from the dam to the middle and lower sediment placement sites by a massive conveyor belt. Moving the dirt makes flood control and water conservation possible for the neighboring populations of Arcadia and Sierra Madre.
Los Angeles County Public Works begins re-vegetating process to compensate for 11 acres of bulldozed trees at the Santa Anita Dam flood control facility. The cost for developing this oak woodland habitat is $650,000.
Major changes on tap for Arcadia in the new year. Delta Marriott Hotel slated for the old Santa Anita Inn; Arcadia's tallest building, currently housing Bank of America at 150 N. Santa Anita Avenue, has gone up for sale. The current Arcadia Self Storage at 35 W. Huntington Drive is proposed to become a modern food vendor location, reminiscent of the Grand Central Market in Downtown Los Angeles or the Anaheim Packing House.
Twenty-fifth horse euthanized at Santa Anita Park since December 26, 2018. The gelding Spectacular Music, that appeared to have suffered a pelvis injury, was euthanized.
Arcadia's Santa Anita Park main track to reopen today after rash of fatalities. Nineteen horses have died at Santa Anita Park Race Track since December 2018. Track surfaces are being tested.
Arcadia's iconic Santa Anita Park hires consultant Dennis Moore to work on the condition of the one mile training track, in the wake of 21 horse deaths since December 2018.
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.
Live horse racing returns Friday to Santa Anita Park. Major audio visual improvements mark significant investment in horse racing. The track is now offering more food choices and some unique craft beers.
Santa Anita Park announces 2018 George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award finalists. They are jockeys Alex Birzer, Javier Castellano, Jose Ferrer, Rodney Prescott and Joe Talamo. This award has been presented annually by Santa Anita Park since 1950. Winner to be announced in February.
Santa Anita Park CEO, Mark Verge, resigns, after some criticism from California Horse Racing Board and a verbal altercation with trainer Bob Baffert's wife. George Haines, General Manager, is expected to run Santa Anita Park.
Santa Anita Park saves historic "100 to 1 Club" sign from the demolished bar of that name and refurbishes it for a new 100-to-1 Club at Santa Anita Park racetrack.