Who knew?
Although, there was no big party, we celebrated quietly with
the Planning Commission at their March 12 meeting with a public hearing. We know what you’re thinking, those wild and
crazy Planners!
The request was for a new vehicle storage business proposed at
3331 Peck Road which is within the Peck Road Specific Plan. The property is way down at the very southern tip of Monrovia. South of the Duarte Road. South of where Myrtle Avenue and Peck Road
merge. South of Live Oak Avenue. This area is primarily known for gravel pits,
Dry Dock, and Pick-a-Part. (Yes, one of
those gravel pits is in Monrovia.)
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| Peck Road Specific Plan Area |
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| The new home of Jorge's Get Around Transport |
Jorge’s Get Around Transport provides private transportation
services in the area and will use this property to store their vehicles. The property was previously improved for a
similar business, so it’s a great match.
This whole site has a long and not so glamorous
history. Many years ago, it started its
commercial life as a quarry. Then to
fill the hole, it was used as a dump.
Once filled, there was a mobile home park…which started to sink and was
then condemned.
What to do with a property that can’t support buildings?
In 1989, the Monrovia City Council adopted the Peck Road
Specific Plan (PRSP) to identify the types of businesses that would be
appropriate under these difficult conditions.
Over these past 25 years, the PRSP has been very successful in balancing
the challenges of the site while maintaining the economic vitality of the property. It’s always satisfying when the plan works.
Oh, yes, the Planning Commission unanimously and enthusiastically
approved the conditional use permit and welcomed Jorge’s to Monrovia.
So, here’s an interesting bit of trivia. This is the only area that we know of where
you can pass through five different communities in the span of about a
mile. Seriously! Along Myrtle Avenue/Peck Road between Wyland
Way and Rio Hondo Parkway, you’ll drive through an unincorporated area of Los
Angeles County, Monrovia, Irwindale, (Monrovia, passing Jorge’s, and Irwindale
again), Arcadia, and El Monte.
There’s an interesting story about how this part of Monrovia
became Monrovia. Remind us to tell you
about it sometime.
