Caruso and Westfield are still battling over the proposed Caruso lifestyle center. A decade ago the race track's south parking lot had been rezoned for commercial development. Rick Caruso feels his development will help Westfield while Westfield believes a new mall will cannibalize tenants and harm both companies and the city's sales tax revenues.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Robert O'Brien ordered changes to a statement signed by Mayor Roger Chandler and members of the City Council after two residents, with the backing of the initiative's corporate sponsor, filed suit over factual inaccuracies. This will affect the wording of Measure N on the next ballot.
Residents voice concerns over the Santa Anita Park race track parking lot development of an outdoor mall to include retail, commercial and apartment space. Residents worry about how the quality of life in Arcadia will be affected. A draft of the environmental report should be ready by late June.
Stephen Deitsch, Arcadia's City Attorney, wants residents to know he has not taken a position on ballot Measure N or Measure P. Westfield Group has published campaign materials that might lead residents to believe Deitsch has taken a stance.
Westfield Group has nominated Santa Anita Park to the National Register of Historic Places, claiming development plans by Caruso Affiliated constitute a threat to the racetrack. Magna Entertainment, owner of the race track, would have to agree to the track being placed on the register. However, placement on the list would not restrict development on the site.
Arcadia voters will decide on ballot Measure I, Measure N, and Measure P on November 7, 2006. Measure N has to do with billboard-type signs. Measure I calls for residents to finance a bond if the district wants to erect new buildings for public schools. Measure P has to do with charging for parking at The Shops at Santa Anita.
Arcadia voters will decide, in a special election next week, whether or not to approve ballot Measure A, which seeks to protect the city's right to collect taxes on cell phone usage. Measure A would not raise any taxes. The city already collects taxes on residential cell phone usage and is seeking to legally protect that practice by redefining what constitutes a telecommunications tax.
George Haines, General Manager of Santa Anita Park race track, writes an open letter in support of the Caruso Affiliated development called The Shops at Santa Anita.
The City Council wants to finish its review of the Caruso outdoor mall project before the April council elections. Opponents to the development feel the Caruso project is being fast-tracked through the approval processes for political reasons.
Less than one week remains before voters decide on ballot measures I, N, and P. A lot of money has been spent by Westfield Group and Our City, a committee headed by George Fasching, on Measures N and P. Measure I is an unopposed bond campaign.
Santa Anita Avenue carries 33,000 cars a day. If a train bridge is not built, the road will be blocked about every five minutes during rush hour. Measure A would allocate $8 million to build a Gold Line train bridge for the Gold Line extension. The bond measure would cost property taxpayers about $7 per year for every $100,000 of assessed valuation. Although the bond measure has many vocal supporters, this city has traditionally resisted new taxes.
Measure A, an $8 million bond measure to fund a train bridge over Santa Anita Avenue, will need a 2/3 vote to pass. Citizens will need to form a committee to build support for this measure, to be voted on on April 11, 2006.
Despite strong backing from the Santa Anita Oaks Homeowners Association, a proposal to replace existing street lights with new ornamental lights was overwhelmingly rejected by residents in a mail-in ballot election. All Arcadia residents will vote on new street lighting assessments in July. Under that measure, all households would pay one of three yearly assessment fees, depending on how they benefit from street lights.
A full page color advertisement solicits Arcadia residents' reviews on the new mall to be built by Caruso Affiliated on the Santa Anita Park race track parking lot. The mall will be called The Shops at Santa Anita.
Developer Caruso Affiliated has submitted a revised plan and environmental impact report (EIR) for review for the proposed development on the parking lot of the Santa Anita Park race track, called The Shops at Santa Anita.
Since Magna Entertainment Corp., the owner of Santa Anita Park, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The race track will be auctioned off in September. That land is zoned for horse racing. Jason Kruckeberg, Arcadia's Development Services Director, said it will remain as a race track.
Rick Caruso has agreed to pay for a revision of the environmental impact report for the Shops at Santa Anita, the proposed mall development on the parking lot of the Santa Anita Park race track. The original environmental impact report cost almost $1 million. The new revision will require new studies and new public meetings and could cost another 6-figure amount.