The 3-toilet turmoil in South Arcadia has become a battle of constitutional proportions. The lawsuit alleges that El Monte is attempting to extort land use concessions from Arcadia.
According to El Monte City Attorney Sidney Maleck, there is new information that shows El Monte is not involved in political "posturing" when it objects to a mini-storage facility and a landfill just across its border in Arcadia.
According to El Monte City Attorney Sidney Malek, El Monte's suit against Arcadia is a dispute over a major landfill, pollution of the water table, spheres of influence of various cities, and the industrialization of Southeast Arcadia. But Arcadia City Attorney Michael Miller claims its real purpose is political.
Arcadia, E. O. Rodeffer, and Public Storage won a round in their legal dispute with the city of El Monte. On March 12, Superior Court Judge Norman Douds ordered El Monte to allow San Gabriel Valley Water Company to dig up El Monte streets to install water lines to a Public Storage building partially located in Arcadia.
Arcadia requested a rehearing of a Court of Appeals decision favoring El Monte in one of the 3 lawsuits involving a Public Storage facility in South Arcadia.
El Monte city attorney, Sidney Maleck, who was just appointed to a municipal judgeship in Orange County thinks "it would be foolish to continue with the lawsuits" against Arcadia over a public storage facility. Arcadia city attorney, Michael Miller, however, says these conciliatory words need to be backed up with actions.
The latest blow in a continuing feud between Arcadia and El Monte is a lawsuit by Arcadia to attempt to force El Monte to allow a local water company to supply a planned building in Arcadia with water.
The lawsuit between Arcadia and El Monte is based on the disputed number of toilets at a Public Storage facility in South Arcadia. El Monte claims there are 5 toilets. Arcadia claims there are 3. Earlier it had been reported there was only one toilet.
Of the 3 parties filing suit against the city of El Monte -- property owner E. O. Rodeffer, Public Storage, Inc., and the City of Arcadia -- only the 2 private parties are paying for the action.