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!
