Community Planning Month - Housing Builds Community

More on Community Planning Month  

We Know You have been Waiting for It!

Last week the Over the Counter Blog received an uncharted level of viewing traffic. We spent several days scratching our heads and wondering what caused this tremendous level of interest. Then it dawned on us...!  Last week we shared that October is National Community Planning Month!!

We also promised you more blog posts on this fine topic! It is now obvious that folks, just like you, have been checking in for updates. So now that we have kept you in suspense for a week, we are ready to roll out this year’s planning theme!  

Drum Roll Please…

I can’t hear you…??

You can use your keyboard keys to drum.  The “d” and “k” keys work well for that, but just make sure your wrists don’t hit the space bar…that will get you off beat. Just a small helpful hint. :)

Okay...now back on topic! This year’s theme is:

Housing as Community Infrastructure!!!

We know you've heard of communities building housing, but have you heard of housing building communities? “Housing as Community Infrastructure” focuses on ensuring that all residents have safe and affordable housing options to advance economic and social equity goals. 

Did you know that Monrovia embraces this theme every single day? This month, Monrovia has the opportunity to celebrate the City’s inclusive growth policies that give residents a genuine stake in housing and development, as well as our vision to help new residents afford the ability to live and contribute to our amazing City.

Here are a few fine examples on how we do this:

So much amazing work has been completed over the last four years to improve Monrovia’s housing stock. Just within the last two years, the City has renewed its development standards to ensure the provision of new multifamily housing, neighborhood compatibility, and historic preservation.  

On the new multifamily housing front, we can boast that the City has approved two large housing developments; Avalon Bay Monrovia Specific Plan and Station Square South Specific Plan.  Together, these developments will provide 450 new residential units. And…not only will these projects provide quality housing, each one will have unique features that make them true Monrovian ventures to prove that Monrovia goes above and beyond!   

 Station Square South Specific Plan by The Richman Group of California

In addition to the 296 residential units that will be provided by Station Square South Specific Plan, the project will transform the terminus of Peck Road (which is currently a very VERY boring dead-end street on the south side of the railway) into a new “kiss and drop” for Metro Gold Line access.   

You read right…not only will you soon be able to access the Gold Line from the south side of the station, but you will be able to “kiss and drop” whomever you like while doing so. 

The new Gold Line access point is a critical design feature that lends to the success of the project. This is because placing a dense housing development near a transportation mode (i.e. Metro Station) yields less reliance on vehicles, which in turn yields cleaner air! This concept also promotes walkability, which is just all around healthy!! (4 out of 5 doctor's agree!) In summary, good planning and love will be in the air upon completion of this project!

 Avalon Monrovia Specific Plan by AvalonBay Communities

The Avalon Monrovia Specific Plan project is located just south of Old Town Monrovia, on Myrtle Avenue between Chestnut and Walnut, and will provide 154 new residential units, including 13 affordable units for very low income households.  This affordable housing component further echoes Monrovia’s desire to keep housing costs down.  As we all know, affordable housing is a hot topic for all middle class Californians. 

If this is the first time you are reading about these projects, you will want to check out Monrovia's Development Spotlight Page for more information! Just Click Here: Monrovia's Development Spotlight Page.

So now that you know another reason why your dedicated Monrovia Planners find the month of October so special! Continue to raise your glasses with us!!  This year’s theme was meant for all of us, because Monrovia embraces housing as community infrastructure every single day!! 

Please stay tuned for next week’s special focus on Historic Preservation!

Zoning, you don't look a day over 50...

It's that time of year again...

When leaves on trees turn color and fall to the ground,

When you start thinking about what you will be for Halloween, 

When that one coffee on every commercial street corner

introduces the new and improved

pumpkin spice latte,

And Most Importantly

(wait for it...wait for it...)

When we all celebrate

National Community Planning Month!!!

Yes, folks…October means planning is in the air!... But not any old type of planning…not party planning, not wedding planning, but Monrovia land use planning, which truly is one of a kind!

Could National Community Planning Month be the real reason we celebrate Oktoberfest?

Well, that may be a little bit far-fetched (we can dream, can’t we?)

But there are many reasons why National Community Planning Month is so special and deserves an entire month of celebration.

OK, so we're Planners and it is our chosen profession and we believe in the power of planning, but...

National Community Planning Month is celebrated each October as a way to highlight the role of planners, both professional and citizen planners, and the importance of good planning in communities across the nation. This is because city planning is essential for communities to prosper and maintain balance and cohesiveness.  Each year, the American Planning Association identifies a theme to help communities across the nation highlight an aspect of planning.  More on that later...

So to recognize the role community planning has played in building the Monrovia that we all know and love, the Monrovia City Council also proclaimed October as Community Planning Month in Monrovia.  Thanks Council!  With all seriousness, we appreciate the affirmation!

So you ask, how does this relate to planning Monrovia?

Well, Monrovia has a lot to write home about!  So much so that we’re going to take the whole month to tell you all about it. 

We hope that by the time Halloween rolls around, you will know a little bit more about Planning, what your community Planners do and how Planning has helped shaped Monrovia.  As always, our aim is to inform, educate and hopefully, even make you chuckle here and there with our corny asides.

So let's kick things off with this fun fact:

  

Monrovia adopted its first zoning ordinance 95 years ago. 

That's amazing!  It seems like only yesterday...but on that dark and warm evening of September 17, 1923, the Monrovia Board of Trustees adopted Ordinance No. 740 which established five zoning districts in the City and the types of uses that would be allowed.

OK, so we don't really know what the weather was like, but mid-September...in Monrovia...with no air conditioning...chances are it was hot.

Well, it looks like its just about that time...Oh?  This year's theme?  Stay tuned...In the meantime, check out our website to learn more about Planning in Monrovia.

What is art?

Well, that's a question that can’t be answered in one blog post. We suppose it's really rhetorical.  But what can be said is that in Monrovia, we like to approach things from a different angle, take a broader view and think outside the box…but stay in the room.  Although, occasionally we've been known to go out on a limb.  

That’s the approach the Art in Public Places Committee takes with when considering new art projects.  Which have you noticed?  They’ve been busy.  There is art going up all around town...and more to come.

Installation of Paula Gemme's winning poem
near the corner of Mayflower and Chestnut

Not too long ago, the City Council approved a new program to celebrate the art of words:  poetry.  This translates into the Monrovia sidewalk poetry program, recently dubbed Footnotes.  

It takes Monrovia residents’ original short poems and stamps them into newly poured sidewalks all over town, eventually creating our own, city-sized book of poems by Monrovians.

Working in conjunction with ongoing sidewalk repair or new development, poems will be stamped as sidewalk panels are installed or replaced. Since the program follows the repair needs, the randomness provides an “element of surprise” for pedestrians.

We're soooo excited about this, that we devoted our last two posts to the program! So if you'd like to find out more, check out the links found in a haiku we composed just for the occasion.

First post tells background
more to say can be found here

understanding, all.

Clearly we won't be winning any contests.  Moving along...

Winning poet Kathee Henigan Bautista with
 Councilmember Gloria Crudgington
who coined the term Footnotes.

Speaking of contests, last fall the City held a contest asking residents to submit their creations.  Well, the response was terrific!  Who knew we had so many talented wordsmiths?  Our judges really had a tough time narrowing it down to just 10 poems.  Congratulations to the 2018 winners:

Kai Armstrong  (age 15)

Kathee Henigan Bautista

Juliette Fang  (age 10)

Paula Gemme

Rhia Hernandez

Megan Lundgren

Gayle Montgomery

Annette Simpson

Carol Steiner

John Vorhaus

The first poem to be immortalized in cement was “The Mountains” by Kathee Hennigan Bautista, imprinted in front of 238 West Palm Avenue. 

  

All ten poems can be read on the City’s website, www.cityofmonrovia.org/art  or better yet, look for them when you are walking around town.  We hope you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Get your creative juices going!  The next contest will be rolling out in the late fall.

The Mountains

P.S.  We're sorry you haven't heard from us in a while and we're humbled that we've been missed by a few (thanks mom!).  We've got lots of terrific stuff to share, so stay tuned.

Sidewalk Poetry Contest

The last time you heard from us, we told you about our awesome new public art program that we have affectionately named the Monrovia Cool Stuff That Our Super Talented Public Works Folks Stamp in the Sidewalk Program (or MCSTOSTPWFSITSP, if you will). You remember, we showed you our first stamp, which you can find right outside of the Monrovia Historical Museum. Remember? No? 

Ok, then before you read any further, check out this post to refresh your memory. We'll wait.

You back? Ok, good. So, now that you remember the MCSTOSTPWFSITSP, we are ready to tell you about phase 2. Oh, yes, there is most definitely a phase 2.  Let's make that capital 'P', Phase 2!  

Now, this is where we need your help. In addition to "Monrovia Tidbits," the other cool stuff that our super talented Public Works folks will be stamping into the sidewalk is poetry. But, not just any poetry. Poetry that is written by you guys and gals, the residents of Monrovia! Pretty neat-o, right?

So, here's the way it works. We have just launched our very first Annual Monrovia Sidewalk Poetry Contest. Sounds nice and official, don't you think? If you are interested in taking part of this public art program and seeing your works take physical shape on the public rights-of-way (AKA sidewalks and streets) around town, submit a short (200 - 225 character) poem to us by December 31, 2017. If your poem is selected, we will stamp it into the sidewalk!

As we replace sidewalks throughout the town, we will be stamping "Monrovia Tidbits" on east-west streets, and "Poems by Monrovians" in the north-south streets. This is a citywide public art program, so your poem could appear anywhere in the City, maybe even outside of your own front door! For more information and to download the Sidewalk Poetry Contest application, click here.

We can't wait to read the submittals! 

We know that we can expect great things from our Inspired and Engaged Community Full of Budding Artists and Those Dedicated to Neighborhood Beautification (or, as we like to call it, IAECFOBAATDTNB).

A program in search of an acronym

Did you know that the first parcels of land in the newly subdivided town of Monrovia were sold on May 17, 1886? 

Still a town in 1886, we wouldn’t become a city for about another year and a half.

Hmmm…May 17, that day sounds familiar…

Anyway, the reason we bring this tidbit up, is that it’s now memorialized as part of the City’s newest public art program.  

We've been racking our brain for months and we think we came up with a catchy name and affectionately call it the Monrovia Cool Stuff That Our Super Talented Public Works Folks Stamp in the Sidewalk Program—MCSTOSTPWFSITSP for short!  That rolls right off the tongue, doesn’t it?  You know government, we love our acronyms!

Well, perhaps we can shorten it...just a bit…

Ideas? We're listening!  Send them to planning@ci.monrovia.ca.us.  The winner will get a lifetime free subscription to “Over the Counter”

Wahoo!  (It’s all the budget will allow.)

Speaking of art…one of the great things that we get to do is work with the community on developing public art.  Several years ago, the City Council adopted a public art program that is funded by new development.  Over the past decade, the City has amassed some cool and interesting pieces.  And because Monrovia does things a little different, a little cooler, and thinks outside the box, our art collection is becoming quite eclectic.  And we believe that suits Monrovia to a T! (or is it ‘tee’, ‘tea’...?) 

There we go, off on a tangent again!  (Squirrel!)  But you know how we get, just a little excited to talk all things Monrovian.   

We really just wanted bring you in on the inauguration of MCSTOSTPWFSITSP.  Coming soon: more cool stuff in the sidewalk!  And hopefully a few less letters...

So next time you're headed to the Monrovia Historical Museum, look down at the sidewalk and check it out!  Don't know where the Museum is?  Here's a hint: it's on the north side of Recreation Park (742 East Lemon Avenue).

While you're there, take a #sidewalkselfie and tag it #artinmonrovia.  

Oh, and the significance of May 17…it’s Monrovia Day!

…and now you know…the rest of the story.

Everything Old is New Again

You know, they say that time is like river... it's cold and wet and teeming with bacteria or something like that. But, we think that time is more like a circle. Things come in and fade out only to return again when it's least expected. This blog post is dedicated to the old becoming new again. We know, that seems like kind of a deep topic for our blog, it's amazing how a couple of overcast days have turned us into philosophers!

So, what has us thinking about time in metaphors? Why are we questioning the very nature of how we organize our lives? The answer is Pavilions. Yes, you read that right, Pavilions grocery store has got us thinking about life, the universe and everything. Why has a grocery store affected us in this way? Because Pavilions will soon be looking a little different. Actually, it will soon be looking like a Vons. We know, we know, we just got used to calling it Pavilions, too! 

So what does this change mean for grocery consumers? In a nutshell (which you can buy at Vons, by the way) you'll probably see some lower prices. All of the great products and customer service that you expect from your Monrovia store will still be there.

If you're a planner in Monrovia (so, you know, if you're one of about 6 1/2 people), you're probably wondering about the new sign design. We were thinking that they could save on their new signs by just removing the extra letters, like this:

Pavilions

    v   ons

Shockingly, they didn't particularly like our design idea and decided to go with this instead:

So, if you're driving down the street and notice something different about the grocery store, you haven't time traveled back to 1985 (if we could travel back to 1985, we'd buy some Apple stock) (apples are also available for purchase at Vons... but we were actually thinking about the company that makes iPhones), it's just the universe reminding you that time is cyclical and everything old can become new again!

When anti-aging cream doesn’t work...time for a nip-tuck!  Even buildings need face-lifts.

Though we strive to be less creepy than the little girl from Poltergeist, in this case we are going to have to borrow her catchphrase… “WE’RE BAAAAAACK!”

Since it’s been a hot minute (it’s also been a particularly humid minute, don’t you think?) since our last blog post we wanted to update you on some of the revitalizations happening throughout the city. Some of the City of Monrovia’s commercial buildings are undergoing some major facelifts.. Just in case you look around one day and wonder where the heck you are, here are some of the more prominent age-defying changes currently underway.

The 7-Eleven on Duarte Road is getting a spanking new look! New eyebrow lift, new paint, and new parking will be noticeable. “Did you know?” 7-Eleven was previously named for their hours of operation 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. However, most are now open 24 hours per day. We guess those late night hours would age anybody! Not to worry, through the miracle of modern construction technology, 7-Eleven will be refreshed and looking new again in no time! This facelift is bound to bring new energy to a classic location. Now onto our next problem… is there any way we can let them be open more than 24-hours per day?

 

The renovated 7-Eleven is going to be a quality project, and we think this next one will be too. I mean, it says so right there in the name! We’re talking about the Quality Inn on Huntington Drive, of course! Yep, you heard it here first, folks, the Quality Inn is doing the Cadillac of all facelifts… new stone facades, shutters, and light fixtures, in addition to a new breakfast room and ADA upgrades! After they’re done, you may not even recognize them. But don’t worry, you can still expect the same QUALITY service and reasonable room rates.

And, have you seen the facelift that is in progress on Huntington Drive? Watch out, it’s a bird, it’s a plane, oh, wait, it is a plane! The iconic airplane mural at the former Albertson’s is getting saved! In fact, it is such an important piece of art, that the shopping center shall henceforth forever be known as “Monrovia Landing” (sound the trumpets!). Yes, this major transformative and refreshing façade remodel is breathing new life into an important commercial center. New Facelift, New Make-up, New Parking, New Landscaping and New Businesses! Once the work is done, the tabloids will run side-by-side photos and report that Monrovia Landing denies having any professional work done. It just drinks lots of water and gets plenty of sleep. We swear.

It may be the end of summer, but things are still heating up around here! Stay tuned for more to come!