Signatures supporting two ballot initiatives sponsored by Westfield Shoppingtown Santa Anita went to the City Clerk's office Tuesday for validation. Westfield's iniatives would ban billboards at The Shops at Santa Anita and require free parking.
Arcadia's Mini-Mall contains several shops and services all housed in what residents still call the old Market Basket building at 30 S. First Ave. Past and present occupants are mentioned.
Arcadia City Councilman, Roger Chandler, calls the Planning Commission's proposal for a moratorium on small street corner shopping centers a "knee-jerk reaction."
A report from the Arcadia Planning Commission recommending restraints on mini-malls was "received and filed" by the Arcadia City Council who decided current building restrictions are adequate.
Westfield Group, owner of Westfield Shoppingtown Santa Anita, has proposed two ballot measures for the November election. Westfield is gathering signatures for the two initiatives: 1) to mandate free parking at all large retail projects and 2) to ban large billboards. A poll of 300 registered Arcadia voters in February showed 74% support the free parking initiative and 62% support the billboard measure.
Photos of a vintage carousel being installed at the mall, part of expansion project, are shown. HQ Entertainment is owner/operator of the carousel, manufactured by a Wichita, KS Company.
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.
Developer Rick Caruso spoke to a crowd of more than 800 people at the Arcadia Masonic Temple about plans for The Shops at Santa Anita at a Planning Commission meeting. The public was invited to voice their opinions in 3-minute blocks of time. Caruso had supporters among police and firefighters unions, Chamber of Commerce, Arcadia Unified School District, several homeowners associations, and city officials. 369 people at the meeting signed a petition opposing the project.
A lengthy public commenting period caused the City Council vote on the proposed mall The Shops at Santa Anita to be delayed until 8:00 AM on Tuesday, April 17, 2007.
Caruso Affiliated's proposed mall, The Shops at Santa Anita, may be hit with a second lawsuit. Anti-development group Arcadia First! said it will sue on the grounds that the environmental impacts of the project have not been fully addressed. The suit will make a ballot referendum unnecessary.
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.
Westfield Group, owner of Westfield Shoppingtown Santa Anita, plans to sue the City of Arcadia and developer Caruso Affiliated to prevent The Shops at Santa Anita, the outdoor mall, from being built.
Rouben A. Yardemian owns a retail store at Westfield Shoppingtown Santa Anita. He writes in response to Rick Caruso's letter that there will not be "mall wars." Yardemian believes Arcadia is not big enough for two malls.
As ordered by the Los Angeles Superior Court, Arcadia city officials were expected to finalize the repeal of all approvals related to the Shops at Santa Anita mall project and the decertification of the environmental impact report (EIR). Jason Kruckeberg, Development Services Director for the City of Arcadia, said city officials are just starting the potentially year-long process of fixing the 11 faulty areas of the EIR. City officials have begun talks with CalTrans and the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts asking for their cooperation in fleshing out traffic and sewage studies.
Judge Dzintra I. Janavs said she will likely hold a non-jury trial on the two petitions, one by Westfield, another by Arcadia First!, against Caruso Affiliated next April. The two legal challenges will not be consolidated but will have joint hearings to save time. Plaintiffs allege the environmental study for the proposed The Shops at Santa Anita mall is flawed.
Developer Rick Caruso is planning two massive "lifestyle centers" on either side of Pasadena: one in Glendale and one in Arcadia. Pasadena officials say they may start thinking about dealing with the increased competition for Pasadena's shopping dollars.
Expansion of the Westfield Shoppingtown Santa Anita will begin soon. It will add 104,400 sq. ft. of retail, 18,400 sq. ft. of restaurants, a 7,800 sq. ft. food court, 45,000 sq. ft. of specialty stores, 54,300 sq. ft. of movie theaters, and a 5,400 sq. ft. auto center. The planned tenants include an AMC theater, Borders Book Store, and Sports Chalet. Expansion will be completed in 2005.