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.
The 121-unit Marriott Residence Inn is scheduled to open for business on January 23. An "all-suites" hotel, the inn offers kitchens in every unit to entice "extended-stay" travellers.
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.
According to Peter Kinnahan, Arcadia's manager for economic development, Arcadia needs to pursue redevelopment projects more aggressively or surrounding communities like Monrovia will take major businesses away. He cited the delay over location of the proposed Target Department Store in Arcadia as an example.
Advocates and opponents of a proposed Target Department Store are having their arguments for what should be a lively discussion before the Arcadia Redevelopment Agency on December 4. The most controversial aspect of the proposed project is that, if approved, the city would buy property in the development area for $16-18 a square foot and resell it to the developer, Beech and Associates, as $12 a square foot.
After narrowly rejecting a Target Department Store as a suitable use for a property on Huntington Drive Tuesday night, the Arcadia City Council will have to await another proposal if it still plans to redevelop the property. The vote was 2-2 with and abstention. the measure needed 3 votes to win.
After presentations by 3 architectural firms Tuesday night, the Arcadia City Council voted 4-1 to ask one of the companies back for further discussion on doing a master plan for the city's proposed civic center project. The proposed center would probably be located on the Huntington Drive median where the city hall and police station are now located. Mayor David Hannah indicated that this could be a long-term project, perhaps lasting as long as 20 years.
Although owners of horse-size lots in Southeast Arcadia recently lost a battle before the City Council to extend a moratorium on subdivisions in the area, one leader of the group says they will continue their fight on 2 fronts: a lawsuit against the city and the formation of a new citizen's group to put initiative measures on the city ballot to limit development of Arcadia.
Although the Arcadia City Council unanimously upheld a planning commission decision Tuesday night to permit the construction of a 97-unit retirement hotel at Michillinda Ave. and Sunset Blvd., an opponent said he plans to take court action against the project.
American Savings, which has been in temporary quarters at the southwest corner of Santa Anita Avenue and Wheeler Avenue in Arcadia since 1976, is seeking a new location. Site has been found at 30 South First Avenue but parking problem is proving to be a major stumbling block.
An emergency ordinance opens the sale of fireworks to other groups besides the American Legion which has had the only permit for many years. Council said it acted to avoid charges of permitting a monopoly.
An international businessman was abducted from his Arcadia home and later released the same evening after his abductors demanded he pay them $1 million. He was told that he would be contacted the next day with instructions about where to put the money, but no money has been paid. This is the first kidnapping of this type in Arcadia, although there have been four other kidnappings in the San Gabriel Valley since last October.
An overwhelming majority of members of the Arcadia Teachers Association voted Thursday afternoon to authorize a strike against the district, although no date was set. Eighty-four percent favored strike.
The Arcadia Beautiful Commission awarded 16 property owners hand-decorated plaques for their beautification of residential as well as business properties. This year the Arboretum was given a special award.
Arcadia Board of Education candidate, Gene Shepherd feels it is unfair that he and 3 other candidates were not interviewed (as they had been in past years) by Arcadians for Arcadia. A spokesman for the group said it was pointless to interview Shepherd since the 3 incumbents "are doing a good job" while Shepherd "hasn't proven himself."
The Arcadia Board of Education granted pay raises to two groups of employees: California School Employees Association members (non-teachers, non-administrative employees) and confidential employees (executive secretaries and others who handle confidential materials).
The Arcadia Business Association held a meeting August 22, 1984, to inform 36 Arcadia business owners of the city's downtown revitalization plan. Unattractive storefronts were cited as a key problem to be solved. In order to ameliorate the situation the city might exercise eminent domain and relocation of certain businesses that fail to voluntarily cooperate with the city plan.
Arcadia Business Association President, Charles Chivetta, who criticized the city's redevelopment policies and was criticized by the city in return, has sent out a letter criticizing the criticisms.