Manny Romero, the owner of Rod's Grill, wants voters to pass a ban on auto sales on the block bounded by Santa Anita Avenue, Huntington Drive, and Morlan Place. The city wants to buy out his property under eminent domain.
The City may have to seize Rod's Grill and the Elks Lodge under eminent domain to accommodate Rusnak Arcadia's auto dealership expansion. Manny Romero, owner of Rod's Grill, and the Elks Lodge do not want to move and do not like what the City is offering for the land parcels.
Measure B was approved by voters yesterday. This will allow Rusnak Mercedes Benz to move ahead with expansion plans. The City of Arcadia will not be able to use eminent domain as a tool for redevelopment for private use.
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.
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.
Rod's Grill, in Arcadia since 1956, fights City Hall's eminent domain proceedings. This article gives the history of the restaurant started by Rod Wellman and the history of current owner Romero's battles and City's negotiation efforts.
City Council quietly dropped eminent domain action against Rod's Grill. The city is working with the Church in Arcadia and Elks Lodge to buy their properties so that Rusnak Mercedes Benz might expand its business.
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.
The city has taken its first step toward condemning part of a desirable downtown block to make way for the expansion of the Rusnak Mercedes Benz. The City Council voted unanimously to move forward with eminent domain proceedings against Arcadia Self Storage, a four-story building on Huntington Drive just west of Santa Anita Avenue. This building is one of five under threat of condemnation.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Arcadia city officials adopt a 5-year redevelopment plan. The major goals are the expansion of the Rusnak Mercedes Benz auto dealership, development around the future Gold Line station and several affordable housing programs. The city demolished the Church of Arcadia's old building at 21 Morlan Place in September to make room for a parking lot that could be used by Rusnak.
The Arcadia Redevelopment Agency is apparently making some progress in a project to improve the area around the Rusnak Mercedes-Benz dealership. The project, known as the Morlan Place Center, has been the topic of closed-door discussions with property owners around the Huntington Drive site. The city has extended offers to at least two property owners to move to 620 E. Live Oak, so that Morlan Place Center can be developed.
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 City of Arcadia has finalized a deal with the Church of Arcadia so the church can move forward with its expansion. The city will pay the church $3.6 million and give it a 1.2 acre property at 630 E. Live Oak Avenue, in exchange for the church property at 21 Morlan Place. The church plans to build a two-story, 23,000 square feet church and meeting hall on the Live Oak Avenue lot. The Morlan Place property is near Rusnak Mercedes Benz.
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.