At a meeting of about 200 Anoakia School parents, directors of the school, which has operated on the former estate of Anita Baldwin for 48 years, explained the reasons the school wants to relocate after June 1990. Lowry McCaslin, who owns the property, wants to develop the 20 acre estate.
The Anoakia School, soon to be renamed the Anita Oaks School, won a victory against staunch opponents of the relocation when the Duarte City Council unanimously approved the move to property owned by New Life Assembly of God Church.
The 49-year-old Anoakia School, facing a June deadline for relocation, has opted for local print advertising. Owner Lowry McCaslin apparently wants to develop the property at Foothill Blvd. and Baldwin Ave. However, the school also has numerous city fire code violations and a building that is not up to seismic standards. The school currently has 279 students from K-8th grade.
Article discusses Arcadia Historical Society's search for a home for Anita Baldwin's piano as well as other artifacts. The piano, shipped around Cape Horn, is now located at Anoakia, Anita Baldwin's former home.
Opposing forces are preparing for the March 1 City Council meeting. At this time the Council will decide whether to permit Mr. McCaslin to develop the area in lots of 18,000 to 20,000 square feet and keep the mansion, or to hold him to the 30,000 square feet set by the Planning Commission and risk losing the house built by Anita Baldwin.
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.
People from the Historic Landmarks division of the National Park Service will visit Anoakia the last of January. The mansion is being considered as an historic landmark on the basis of its architect, Arthur Benton.
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.
Residents have petitioned the Planning Commission to change the area's zoning from R-1 (7500 square feet) to R-O&D (30,000 square feet) because of fears that Mr. McCaslin, owner of Anoakia, may build too densely.