The Biggest, HUGEST, MOST ENORMOUS ANNOUNCEMENT EVER!!!

We have some really, really big news to share! It's just about the most exciting thing to ever hit the Development Review Committee (we lovingly refer to it as DRC)! Really, this is huge, you won't want to miss it... are you ready?? OK, here goes!

DRC is changing their meeting schedule from every-other-week to twice a month!! WOW!  That's right, DRC on the first and third Wednesdays of each month.

That's it... end of blog post.

...

...

Oh, you know us so well... of course we're not done talking about this enormous news, but for the sake of transparency, we want you to be the first to know...

So, for many years now, DRC has met every-other-week (apparently there was a time way, way back when DRC met weekly). But, given that the City Council meets twice a month and all of the other Commissions, Committees and Boards meet on a once or twice per month schedule, this year, DRC finally decided to get on board with the schedule. No, it's not a Board, it's a Committee... so we guess they actually decided to get on Committee with the schedule? 

Anyway, DRC was so excited about the change, they went so far as to adopt this doozy of a Resolution:

DEVELOPMENT REVIEW COMMITTEE RESOLUTION NO. 2020-01

A RESOLUTION OF THE DEVELOPMENT REVIEW COMMITTEE OF THE CITY OF MONROVIA, CALIFORNIA, ESTABLISHING THE REGULAR MEETING DATES OF THE DEVELOPMENT REVIEW COMMITTEE FOR 2021

 

THE DEVELOPMENT REVIEW COMMITTEE OF THE CITY OF MONROVIA DOES hereby resolve as follows:

 

WHEREAS, the Development Review Committee was created by the City Council by Ordinance No. 79-19 to eliminate any unnecessary waste of time and money on the part of both applicants and city officials in the processing of various applications; to ensure that single-family, multi-family, commercial and industrial development in the city will be compatible with the architectural character of development in the immediate area, and to provide a potential applicant with a means of having a proposed development concept reviewed prior to submitting a formal application as set forth in Title 2 of the Monrovia Municipal Code; and

WHEREAS, the Committee is required to establish by resolution, the time and location of its regular meetings.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, THE DEVELOPMENT REVIEW COMMITTEE OF THE CITY OF MONROVIA, CALIFORNIA DOES RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS:

1.                   The regular meetings of the Monrovia Development Review Committee shall occur every first and third Wednesday of each month at the hour of 4:00 p.m. with the exception of the necessity for Special Meetings; and such meetings shall be held in the City Council Chambers at Monrovia City Hall, 415 South Ivy Avenue, Monrovia, California 91016.

            2.                  The Committee adopts the meeting schedule attached as Exhibit A.

            3.                  This resolution shall take effect beginning on January 1, 2021.

PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED this 18^th day of November, 2020.

Pretty exciting, right? We thought so and we couldn't wait to share the news with you! To see the schedule of upcoming 2021 meetings, events, and City happenings, you can visit the calendar page on our website here. And, we're pretty optimistic that we may actually get to hold some of these upcoming events in person in 2021. We can't wait to see you all face-to-face again! But, in the meantime, please stay safe and distanced out there. For the latest news about COVID-19 and the City's response, check out this webpage. 

It's Almost That Time Again!

Things have been looking scarier and scarier out there... 

No, we're not talking about the Halloween ghosts and ghouls. With all the fires...and COVID-19 and...well, it's been a year like no other...we're actually looking forward to fighting off vampires and werewolves in a few days! Not to mention, the election is just around the corner... EEK! (If you haven't already, VOTE!)

But the scariest thing of all is that National Community Planning Month is almost over! 

That's right, this past month of Planning insights will be coming to an end. (We can practically hear the screams, "NOOOOO!" echoing off the foothills.) But fear not! We at the City will bravely continue to keep you informed of new and exciting things to come.

As a way to send you off and celebrate the last days of National Planning Month, we want to sing you a merry song, ready? 1...2...3...

We wish you a Merry Christmas, we wish... 

Oh, too soon? Did the reminder that Christmas is right around the corner scare you even more? Not to mention Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and the Winter Solstice...Ok, ok. We can skip the song...for now.

Instead, let's look back on some of the spotlights of this month and recap what we are planning for the future! First, we highlighted some different ways COVID and the fires have inspired us to communicate with each other. Sometimes using futuristic technologies like Zoom, while other times using more classic methods like painted rocks, chalk drawings, and signs. We have really come together as a community to keep connected in more ways than ever!

Then we gave you a sneak peak into the new Environmental Justice Element for the General Plan. This new chapter, *ahem* Element, will feature new goals the City will be working towards for a more equitable Monrovia. Stay tuned for upcoming community meetings... this will be a great opportunity for you and your friends to put on a Planner's cap and make a big impact for the City! You didn't know Planners were known for their hats? Well, they are! Just check out this picture of the "Father of Urban Planning," Daniel Burnham. 

Get a load of his sweet haberdashery fashion sense! (For a refresher on the General Plan update, you can click here.)

We then gave some shout outs (or is it shouts out? we can never figure that one out) to new developments going up throughout the City. These are exciting new projects that took a lot of work and collaboration from City staff and applicants, the Planning Commission and City Council and most importantly from you (collectively and affectionately known as our community!)  We are so excited to see them come to life. You can keep an eye out for these and other projects at the City's Development Spotlight Page.

Finally we couldn't forget about a truly important part of Monrovia, its historic landmarks! Specifically, the two new landmarks at 742 E. Lime Avenue and 512 W. Maple Avenue. These are two period revival (remember those words?) homes that have a lot of character. Having so many landmarks (153 to be exact) helps make Monrovia the Gem of the Foothills. The City's Historic Preservation Commission also celebrated its 25 year jubilee! A big part of planning for resilience is the protection of historic resources by landmarking structures and designating historic districts. With your help we can continue to protect the historic gems of Monrovia for future enjoyment.

We've really enjoyed celebrating National Community Planning Month with you, dear Reader, and we hope that you've enjoyed it too. Now go out, take a look at the built environment with (hopefully) new appreciation and don't forget the next time you see a Planner - complement them on their hat!

Planning to Keep Revivals Remembered

Hello Dear Reader,

We hope you are all enjoying this October... we heard recently that most Americans call this "Spooky Season." (BTW - When did that become a thing?) Anyhoo... as much as we enjoy a good spook (unlike the Cowardly Lion), by now you can probably tell that we like National Community Planning Month even better!

When last we spoke (or wrote, in this case), we told you all about the new and exciting projects that you can see all over town. Did you miss it? Don't worry, you can find it right here. And as much as we love these new projects, Monrovia would not be what it is today without it's history. So, today we will be focusing on our Historic Preservation Program. 

Does historic preservation relate to our theme of "Planning is Essential for Recovery?" Why, yes, yes it does... Historic preservation is a cost effective, environmentally sound, and culturally sensitive strategy. It is used to preserve affordable housing, allow new commercial and mixed use opportunities through adaptive reuse of historic buildings, and anchor the compatibility of established neighborhoods. Yes, Monrovia's Historic Preservation Program does all of that... That's some pretty heavy lifting!

And the cherry on top of that sundae is that this year, 2020 is the Historic Preservation Commission's Jubilee! Yes, it's a regular cherries jubilee! But, seriously. The Historic Preservation Commission was established in 1995 and is now 25 years old. In that time, the Commission has designated 153 Historic Landmarks and 2 Historic Districts, and has helped earn the City an A- rating from the Los Angeles Conservancy. That's a lot of accomplishments in just 25 years! If you want more specifics of the amazing progress of the past 25 years, here is a great overview.

And just this week, two more houses were added to the landmark rolls! This first one is an American Colonial Revival home. 

So, what makes it a revival? 

We're so glad you asked. Since it was built in 1925, it missed the first movement of American Colonial architecture, which occurred in...well, Colonial times (you probably guessed that). But, during the early 20th century, the style made a comeback! Notice that prominent arch? Those columns? The symmetry of of the front façade? Those are just some of the tenants exemplifying the American Colonial Revival Style. You can read all about this home here.

This second brand new landmark is an English Tutor Revival - Storybook Cottage. We dare you to say that five times fast.

There's that word again... revival. Pop quiz time! Based on what you read above about revival architecture, what can you deduce about this house? That's right! It harkens back to the architecture typically found in the famous Storybook Cottage time period. You can practically see the Keebler Elves baking some cookies in the tree! (Please note:  "Storybook Cottage" is not a universally accepted time period. But, it sounds nice, doesn't it?). If that's piqued your interest... check out some more fun facts about the house here.

Ok, we've gone on and on about our Historic Preservation Program, so we'll let you get back to your regularly scheduled reading. Keep enjoying your October... to paraphrase the Cowardly Lion... 

"We do believe in National Community Planning Month. We do, we do, we do, we do, we do believe in National Community Planning Month."

Seeing is Believing

Seeing is Believing

So, over the past couple of weeks  we reminded you that it is National Community Planning Month and that “Planning is Essential to Recovery.” Then we showed you our building blocks of Planning.
No not those building blocks. Our building blocks are the General Plan Elements which are our foundation to Planning. But if there was ever the time for perseverance and resilience it is now, during the global pandemic. Although these times seem dire in the world, there is still plenty to celebrate.  Seeing is believing, you say? Well, get on your feet!  If you have not  taken a walk around Monrovia recently you might be surprised to find some of the fruits of our labor.

The City is busy as ever and has made some changes to serve its residents and businesses. Today Monrovia businesses can operate outside with a TOBO permit. No, not Toto (though outdoor dining is pretty darn dog-friendly)! Residents can continue to eat and drink at their favorite restaurants with proper, socially distant outdoor dining. HUGE shout out (woot-woot!) to our Neighborhood and Business Services team for implementing and processing 32 TOBOs since July!

The Planning Division has also been busy as ever helping projects get approved. Maybe you’ve noticed… .

For example, have you noticed any small changes near the southern entrance to Old Town? I’ll give you a hint, it’s a just a small 6-story mixed use development, no big deal (just kidding… it’s actually a VERY big deal!). If you guessed the Avalon project then you are a winner!!! The Avalon project will contain 154 apartment units and 3,500 square feet of ground floor retail space.

But as much as we are in awe of the big projects like Avalon Monrovia, our smaller projects are just as important to the community. These projects are spread throughout the City and some of them are just getting started, like the 3 new two-story units at 518 East Olive Avenue, which has just finished the demolition of the lot.

And some are almost finished, such as this 4-unit condominium project at 1224 South Alta Vista Avenue.

And a few are just getting off the ground, like 525 South Shamrock Avenue, which will modify the old market into a small Auto Museum with two residential apartments on top. Or the old Frontier Building in Old Town. This large 4-story building is being renovated to include ground floor commercial tenant spaces with a self-storage facility on top for everyone to store all of the quarantine items you have purchased over the last half year! 

So keep any eye out the next time you take an evening stroll around town and you too can believe by seeing that Monrovia is still going strong! And remember, we are in this together.

HE, SE, and EJE – General Plan Elements for Resiliency!

Last week your Monrovia City Planners blogged about this year’s theme for National Community Planning Month “Planning is Essential to Recovery.” This week your planners would like to let you know what type of “planning” we are doing relative to this topic. But first -- we want to make sure you got the “take away” from last week’s post. 

So, here is a pop quiz.  We love pop quizzes!!

Last week’s message was:  (Select all of the following that applies.)

A.       Monrovia Planners wear triple layer pocket protectors.
B.       Monrovia Planners have genetically modified DNA.

C.       Monrovia Planners are still standing.

D.       Monrovia Planners are still planning.

Now, if you guessed D, you got it! Great job! We even wrote a beautiful song about it inspired by Elton John! (If you want to hear his version, you can access it here…. But we still like our version better!)

We’re still Planning

We’re still planning, better than we ever did
We’re looking like true survivors, feeling like little kids
We’re still planning after all this time
 Thinking about the future of our residents
not gonna leave anyone behind
We’re still planning yeah yeah yeah
We’re still planning yeah yeah yeah

Phew, wasn’t that fun?  So now that that’s done, let’s back to the subject of this week’s post.

You may be wondering…What type of planning is "essential for recovery"?

Well, you have heard of the Periodic Table of the Elements – the building blocks for, like, everything on earth …but have you heard about the General Plan Table of Elements?  

1. Land Use Element
2. Circulation Element
3. Housing Element
4. Safety Element
5. Noise Element
6. Open Space Element
7. Conservation Element 

We know, we know... it just looks like a table of contents. BUT these elements are exciting to us because they are the building blocks for, like, everything in Monrovia!

"Elements" is just a planner’s fancy word for “chapters,” but these chapters are critical in a City’s General Plan because they guide land use decisions with an end goal of achieving sustainability and resiliency! Monrovia's General Plan is the blue print for the City’s long range planning goals.

You may also be asking yourself... So when a General Plan is planned, are only planners doing the planning? 

That is great question. We Plan, You Plan, We all Plan! Guess what guys... Even Peter Piper Plans!

Remember that... because in the upcoming months, the Monrovia Planning team will be launching a comprehensive update to Monrovia’s Housing Element (HE) and Safety Element (SE). We will also be commencing the preparation of a brand new element called an Environmental Justice Element (EJE). And there will be opportunities for you to participate!

You too could attend a community meeting just like this... 

except, you know, virtual because it's 2020 

Now that you've got the lingo, you're probably asking... So why are the HE, SE and EJE elements important?  Another good question!

The Monrovia Housing Element provides a blue print for an adequate supply of safe and affordable housing for all economic segments of the community. The Safety Element identifies and evaluates natural hazards within the City (like wild fires, earthquakes, etc.) and outlines goals and programs aimed at reducing all types of loss associated with those hazards. The new Environmental Justice Element will be designed to include goals and strategies that address environmental concerns, such as  air quality impacts, and goals to ensure every resident has access to public facilities, healthy food, safe and sanitary homes, and opportunities for physical activity.

Dialog as a community will be an important initial step in this General Plan update process for identifying the right goals and strategies to keep Monrovia on a path for a stronger tomorrow. Remember - Planners don’t plan alone – we plan with you!  So, keep your eyes peeled. In a few weeks will be reaching out to YOU for your important planning input.

Rocktober...a Plantabulous Month!

Ah... October! That wonderful month when you start craving a Pumpkin Spice Latte even if it is 100º outside, when children embrace their true natures as superheroes, and when orange really is the new black.

But October is our favorite month for a different reason - It's National Community Planning Month! When else can we get little nerdy about Planning all while celebrating our Monrovia community? Ok, ok, we're nerdy all year long and we never stop celebrating Monrovia, but October gives us a convenient excuse to press our pocket protectors and glasses into action.

This year's National Community Planning Month theme is VERY topical, "Planning is Essential to Recovery," and centers on how cities are responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. We know that this community will find a path through today to a stronger tomorrow because, in Monrovia, resiliency is in our DNA! In fact, we are already planning for and building that tomorrow. 

Thinking back to January of this year, nobody could have anticipated that a public health lockdown would keep us all in our homes for months, or that Monrovia would face its biggest wildfire in decades. But we've adapted. We've learned new ways to communicate - using paint and chalk and rocks. We've learned new ways to connect - with art and Zoom and signs. And we've started a whole new conversation - with essential workers, COVID pods, and public health officials.

And through all of that, we are still here. We're still planning. We're still building. We're still celebrating! Here are some of the moments from the past seven months that stand out the most to us.

As city staff, we are proud to serve residents, business owners, and visitors who have demonstrated strong commitment to meeting today's challenges together. 

Like everything this year, we will be celebrating National Community Planning Month in a virtual manner. So stay tuned to this space for information, meetings, pictures, and maybe even a few chuckles.

Art on a Box!

Hear ye – Hear ye!

The City of Monrovia is pleased to announce the winners of the 2020 Art on the Box Contest.

Side note: Did you know there is an actual Town Crier Competition? Neither did we...check it out… Annual Town Crier Competition

So back to business...The Art on the Box program was created to add some local color to our streets and beautify our communities by turning blank utility boxes into unique, stunning works of public art (trust us, this is no easy feat!) The program improves our neighborhoods while supporting local artists (and their mad skills!)  For some light reading, check out the full story of the Art on the Box Program.

Each year, the City reaches out to our local creative community to submit their designs for consideration.  This year there were thirteen entries and six images were chosen for creation. (While they were all terrific, we needed to stay within the budget.)  In the upcoming weeks the artists will paint various utility boxes throughout Monrovia...of course while maintaining social distancing protocols!

Can’t wait that long??? You don't need to twist our arm, we're happy to share a sneak peek at the images that will be coming soon to blank utility box near you!

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then this year’s images are a novel!

In addition to the six boxes that will soon be painted, Monrovia already has 20 Art on the Box creations. Twenty you ask? Yes! How many have you spotted in our beautiful city?

Sounds like a great scavenger hunt to us (#artinmonrovia)!

Here's a hint: Many of them are located off around Myrtle Avenue, but not all of them.   

Want to know the location and description of all boxes??? We hope your answer is yes.

Then, visit this Blog regularly (or better yet subscribe) to get updates on the finished boxes and locations. 

We're sooo excited to see the finished pieces and share them with you!

The annual E-1 post

Is all this COVID-19 stuff getting to you?  We hear you!  That's why with all the uncertainty in the world, it's nice that we can still count on a few things...Cinco de Mayo comes the day after May the 4th (be with you), which is a few days after May Day.  Consistency, normality, reliability...these are all things that we can use more of right now.  

So with May Day comes the big reveal...and no, we're not talking about the new American Idol...it's all about how many people live in Monrovia!  It is that time of year when our demographer friends with the state Department of Finance release an annual--no, the infamous "E-1 report".

And in the name of consistency, we bring you our annual blog post to document the occasion. (OK, we missed 2017 and 2018, but who's counting?)  We're sort of consistent...oh and that link you passed right by is another shameless attempt to boost our viewership statistics...so in preparing this offering, we went back an reread some of the previous posts (and so can you, hence the link).  Some are quite clever, we really do crack ourselves up sometimes...

There we go on one of those tangents. 

But even if we've missed a year here and there, lets give it up for all those wild and crazy (not!) state demographers.  They are consistent.  Year in and year out, they are busy counting people coming and going from California...

39,782,868...39,782,869...39,782,870...

OK, so we're pretty sure they're not standing at the state border with an abacus, are they?

No, of course not, these are scientists, scientists of demography.  Did you know that demography defined as the scientific study of human populations?  Neither did we, we just googled it.

So let's get down to the whole point of this...using a plethora of data from a myriad of sources: 

As of January 1, 2020, Monrovia's population was 37,935.  

So your reaction was probably the same as ours..."What?"  That's right, for two years straight, Monrovia's estimated population has decreased...ever so slightly (down 0.1%), but still a decrease.  The County population also decreased by the same percentage.  California as a whole grew, but it was very slow growth, a 0.2% increase.  

So a couple of things to keep in mind, these are projections, not an actual count of people (AKA The Census).  Also, these estimates are benchmarked to the 2010 Census data.  The decennial 2020 Census data will not impact these projections until 2022...it takes a long time to count 300,000,000 people.

Here's an interesting tidbit from all this...This is the first time since this data has been compiled that California has added more housing units than people.  Hmmm!  Not quite sure what to make of that, but there it is.  Looking for more interesting facts and deductions? Read all about it in their press release.

So before we bid you adieu, we need to ask you one question.

Did you fill out your Census?  

If not, do it now.  It's important.  You count!  Until next time, stay safe.  We need every reader we can get...and we like you too!

Are you a poet...and you just don't know it?

Making lemonade out of lemons is one of the great things that Monrovians do.  So while COVID-19 has certainly provided a bumper crop, it means more opportunities to seek out the sunny side of life.  

Our longtime readers may remember back to the time that we were excited about a new program: MCSTOSTPWFSITSP!  Thinking about it still gives us goosebumps!  The program now goes under the moniker Footnotes...perhaps that's a good thing.  We're here today to bring you some really, really exciting news.

But before we make the BIG announcement, we've developed a short quiz to see if you should continue reading: 

• Got some free time on your hands and want to put it to good use?
• Want to be immortalized in Monrovia’s walkways?
• Did this blog post pique your interest?
• Do you live in Monrovia?

Well if the answer to these questions is yes, then this is news you'll want to hear...The City of Monrovia is excited to announce the return of the annual Sidewalk Poetry Contest.  Ta-da!

OK, so this is not hot of the press news.  Think of it as a gentle reminder...

Regardless, we're back and we're looking for the next group of poets with a new Sidewalk Poetry Contest--The 2020 Edition.  

     

As you know (or do you???) Sidewalk Poetry combines a basic infrastructure repair program with the embedded poetic creations of Monrovia residents (talk about a win-win) that builds a collective creation and sustainable program generated by a collaboration of citizens with government. 

How’s that for a perfect paring... as good as wine and cheese?...PB and J?  William and Mary? (Monroe, that is)

Want the full 411 on this program? Of course you do, then click HERE

Whether you work in free-form, Haiku, Distich, or Cinquain, there’s a poet in us all – and there could be a world to be born under YOUR footsteps. 

Interested? Good! Here are the guidelines:

• Access the application HERE
• The contest is open to all residents of Monrovia
• Entries will be accepted through the end of the day on May 18, 2020
• Poems must be family-friendly and not exceed 250 characters including spaces and punctuation
• Poems must be original compositions written by the submitted poet (unless written by a minor, in which a parent and/or guardian may submit)
• Two poems per person may be submitted and poems will be judged on originality, creativity, and artist quality by the Art in Public Places Committee
• Winners will be selected from all qualified entries, and the winning poems will be stamped in concrete, listed on the City of Monrovia website and used on promotional materials
• Applications must be submitted by either emailing Kerri Zessau at kzessau@ci.monrovia.ca.us or mailed to Monrovia City Hall – Community Development Department, 415 S. Ivy Avenue, Monrovia CA 91016, attention Kerri Zessau

 Now, are you ready to make an impression (in concrete)? Yea!

 Get your creative juices flowing and let the words pour out of you!

A dream? Or is it the light at the end of the tunnel...

Can you see it!? Look closer. It's there. With all that's going on in the world it's good to know that some of our developers have continued on through a very long, winding, bumpy, (previously) unpaved road.

If you don't know what we're referring to yet, check out the OTC Blog from February, 2019 here.

Check it out. We'll wait...

Just to recap, there has been a project under construction at the corner of Chestnut and Magnolia (soon to be 239 West Chestnut Avenue) for a 10-unit industrial condominium complex.

However, maybe it wasn't a road; maybe it was one massively long tunnel! Yes. We can see it. The glimmer in the eye that imagines what's on the other side. You visualize the 'concept' of what could be at the end.

So you enter the tunnel, with the dreamscape in mind. However, it is not your ordinary tunnel, it's more like an ACME tunnel. The project has been one long, continuously stretched tunnel. Think of Roger Rabbit taking the tunnel and stretching it for 12 years!!! Can you imagine a 12-year long tunnel!!!??? Whew! That is quite the journey! And when the light breaks, and finally steps out, you see the dream in its reality! Doesn't it look good! It's great when the final product looks like the concept! We love it when that happens.

Thankfully, most projects don't take this long to come to fruition and we're pleased that we can all see the light at the end of this tunnel.

While the developers have a few final items to finish, we're out of the tunnel with the end in sight. We expect they will be calling for a final inspection of the completed building in the very near future! Hooray!

If you are looking to lease one of these brand new industrial condos within this new development, please contact Filippo Fanara at Filippo@cibare.com.

And just like our developer we too have a light at the end of this long tunnel! It goes to show that perseverance wins the day. So on your next stroll, be sure to walk by and check it out... and don't forget to look down, you might find some inspiration in the sidewalk... a couple of poems embedded in the sidewalk. Read more about 'Footnotes' here.

So stay well and stay safe, dear readers; and please continue to come back to this blog during these times for some information and light-heartedness. Even as we face some challenges ahead, it is good to know that there's still a lot of great things going on in Monrovia and we're committed to keep you posted through more of these posts in the coming weeks. 

Don't Come to City Hall (redux)

So we're usually not one to repeat ourselves...at least not on purpose, but this is a reminder that although the City Council will hold it's regular meeting on Tuesday, April 7, 2020 at 7:30 PM, because of the Governor's Order to stay home...please stay home, but do participate!

How?  Well, glad you asked.  Instead of paraphrasing what we said before, we'll just cut and paste from last week's post. 

There are several ways to participate:

• If you have cable, watch on KGEM (Spectrum Channel 99 or Giggle Fiber Channel 87-2)  
• Live stream online at the Foothill Media website.
• Participate by sending an email to the City Clerk at cityclerk@ci.monrovia.ca.us before 7 PM tonight.  (Sorry, the blog wouldn't allow a direct link).

Want to read the previous post in its entirety?  Click here.

How in the World am I Supposed to Submit Plans during this time of Covid-19?

It’s Monday morning, you spent months of preparation and countless hours having development plans drawn up and printed. You are finally ready to submit them for the CIty’s review. You walk up to the front steps of City Hall only to find multiple signs that say:

 City Hall is Closed to the Public due to COVID-19 

Your heart sinks, now what do you do? 

Don’t fret! Your City staff have been working tirelessly on innovative technology to keep in touch with you (at a safe distance, of course) and to keep your projects moving forward! Introducing… drum roll please… the PDF aka the Portable Document Format. 

Now, how many of you actually knew what PDF stood for? 

You can upload it, you can download it, you can even side load it (uh-um...we mean attach it to an email)! 

Innovative right? 

Ok, all jokes aside, your City staff have truly transformed the way of interacting with you so that we can all stay home and stay safe while still creating a premier quality of life. 

It’s not the same as just taking a quick drive to City Hall, we realize that this whole virtual thing takes some getting used to, we get it! But for the time being, there’s a new way to talk to us and submit your plans. 

The Community Development Department created this nifty easy-to-use guide so you can still submit plans and pay any fees for the review.  It's as simple as 1-2-3...4:  

1. Consult the Planning Team by phone or email. This will give us a chance to learn about your project. It also gives us an opportunity to guide you with the information you need to know early on.
2. Prepare Your Application for Review along with the application form. 
3. Submit Application for Review via PDF (remember that innovative technology?) or you can mail it in. 
4. Pay Invoice over the phone with a card or by mail / deposit box with a check.

Most of us may not be physically in the office but we are all still working remotely and monitoring our phones (and voicemails) as well as our emails. So rest assured, we are here for you even through these tough times. 

So if you have plans that you think are ready to submit, or you just have land use questions about a property, don’t hesitate to give us a call at (626) 932-5565 (leave a message, we promise to call you back as soon as possible!) or send us an email planning@ci.monrovia.ca.us.   

Remember, Stay Healthy, Stay Safe, and most importantly Stay at Home. 

Monrovia's Founding Father...or Fathers?

So, yes COVID-19 is serious and your City staff continue to be focused on providing the best service possible to the community that we deeply cherish. But we thought, heck, (yes, that's right, heck!) let's take a quick break to highlight that other aspects of community life continue. A little art and a little history, perhaps...

Without further ado, let's talk about our founders. Yes, while many people are well aware of William Monroe (heck, the town was named after him!). But a lone wolf he was not! 

It took many men to help create this awesome city. But imagine if women had been allowed to vote, hold office...[fill in the blank here]...etc. Well, we all know that behind every great man...

So back to our founders...yes, that's plural. How many were there?

Well, we are sooo glad you asked? There were five, can you name them all?

Can you name any of them? 

We gave you one already...William Monroe.

But we would be remiss not to include Edward Spence, John Bicknell, James Crank and Jeremiah Falvey alongside him. We're so pleased that local artist, Eric Watkins, chose four of them as the subject for his utility box masterpiece, appropriately entitled, The Founding Fathers as part of the Art on the Box Program. Seriously, it's a terrific addition to our growing collection.

We hear you, so many questions...

Art on the Box?

Why are only four featured?

Aliens, do they really exist? 

(We'll save this one for another day!)

Let's take the easy one first, Art on the Box. You may have noticed that there are a number of utility boxes around town with decorated with art. This program was put into place by the Art in Public Places Committee and the City Council about a decade ago to encourage artists to dress up these blank canvases scattered around town. It's open to local artists of all ages. Click here for more details, and if so inspired, get ready, we take applications every winter (the next round will be from January through March 2021).

Now on to the really big mystery, who was Jeremiah Falvey? That's a great question. What we do know is that we don't know much. There is minimal information and no known images in existence (for some reason, we imagine him to look like a young Danny DeVito). But when the City Historian tells us he's one of "The Five", who are we to argue? So what do know about him is that he had been the foreman at Lucky Baldwin's Rancho Santa Anita...

That's it.

Luckily, there is considerably more information on our other four founders. We're going to give you just a few tidbits to whet your appetite. Want to know more? Check out the Library website to learn about all the resources available to educate yourself on Monrovia's rich history. So here we go...

Presenting, Art in the Box, featuring Our Founding Fathers

William Monroe – The big daddy of them all! Born June 4, 1841 in Indiana. With his growing family he decided to move to California in 1875. In 1882 he purchased 120 acres of land from Lucky Baldwin and the following year purchased another 90 acres (image the price of that land now???) Throughout his life, Mr. Monroe was a very successful businessman and pursued many carriers including school superintendent, banker, real estate broker and railroad supervisor (can you say Jack of all trades?)

John Bicknell – Born in Vermont with his exact birthday unknown (so does that mean that everyday is potentially his birthday?) He studied and practiced law in Wisconsin until 1866. His asthmatic condition forced him to move to California and join the law firm that represented Southern Pacific Railroads. Later he became President of the First National Bank. 

Still with us? Just checking...

James Crank – Here's another figure instrumental in the early development of our city. Born in New York in 1842, he moved to California in 1874. In 1881 he became a Member of the State Legislature. Mr. Crank considered one of his greatest ventures to be the construction of a steam railroad through the northern half of the San Gabriel Valley.

Edward Spence – Came to California in 1822 to engage in mining. In 1869 he became a bank manager. A few years later, he moved to Los Angeles (do you think it was called "LA" back then?) to help organize the First National Bank. While he was Mayor of Los Angeles, he organized the first salaried fire department. It is said that Mr. Spence was the one who suggested Monrovia be named after Mr. Monroe. (Thank goodness because Spenceville, Bicknelltown and Crankadena just don’t roll off the tongue like Monrovia.) 

These men, and Monroe, all knew each other from business and society connections in Los Angeles (did you catch that?)

Click this link to see the original track of homes and land owned by the founding fathers here.

Until next time…stay thirsty (for knowledge) friends…oh, and heck, we should probably let you know where to see this gem in person...its in front of the Aztec Hotel! If there's a crowd, please keep 6 feet apart. We need you dear reader.