Santa Teresita Development Achieves Silver LEED Rating

Phase 1 of the “Rose Gardens at Santa Teresita” development recently achieved a Silver LEED Rating.  As reported in an earlier Blog post, the 22-unit assisted living facility is the first structure to be completed in the four phase project.  Over time the grounds will be developed with skilled nursing facilities and assisted living and independent living units in a campus type setting for seniors.  For more information about the Rose Gardens visit Santa Teresita's website.

North Facing Elevation

East Side of the Building

Planning Commission Update - April 10, 2013

April 10, 2013 was the date of the regular meeting of the Monrovia Planning Commission.  The agenda was short—only one hearing—but the project is an important one.  The Commission reviewed a proposal to construct a 154-unit apartment building with a small non-residential component on South Fifth Avenue, just south of Huntington Drive.

One could say the planning for this project goes back to 2006.  That’s when the City began a series of meetings and workshops to update the General Plan which was ultimately adopted in 2008.  The primary focus of the update created several distinct planning areas to focus future development: Station Square, the South Myrtle Avenue Corridor (Olive Avenue to I-210) and West Huntington Drive.  

Specifically, the west end of West Huntington was envisioned as a mixed use “village” providing opportunities for housing, office and retail.  Monrovia had big plans!  Then the Great Recession hit and development hit the proverbial wall.

The region is definitely on an upswing and this is one of the first proposals out of the gate.  There are many approvals needed for this project which is spelled out in detail in the staff report, specific plan, and environmental documents and studies.  But what most people want to know is what it is going to look like.  Right?  So here it is.  

         

During the public hearing, no one spoke with concerns about the project.  The Planning Commission had a very thoughtful discussion about the project including the parking, traffic and potential uses in the commercial space at the north corner of the building.  At the close of the hearing, the Commission voted to recommend approval of this application to the City Council.  The City Council is scheduled to review the proposal on May 21. 

Ivy @ Monrovia

If you’re a long time reader of our blog, you might remember way back to last September when the Planning Commission approved a new multi-family development at 138 East Olive.  And if your memory is really good, you probably remember this building.

While we had high hopes that the old SAK building would find new life, the owner discovered that the building had issues.  Big issues!  Unfortunately, the building had to come down.  The site later served as a temporary parking lot, temporary fire station, temporary construction staging area…

After sitting vacant for several years, Williams Homes proposed a new 18-unit residential condominium that will complete the vision established for the 100 block of East Olive that started with Paragon.  With final approvals under their belt, they are moving full speed ahead into the construction phase and are in the final stages of the plan check process.  We expect them to break ground soon.  Here’s what it’s going to look like.

Check back for future updates…or even better—subscribe!

Development Review Committee

Don’t let that official, bureaucratic sounding name fool you, the primary purpose of the Monrovia Development Review Committee is to provide a timely and efficient way to review compliance with the City’s regulations and streamline the process.

Commonly referred to as “DRC” (Just what the world needs—another acronym!), the Committee is comprised of the City’s capable department heads: the Director of Community Development, Director of Public Works, Fire Chief and Police Chief with staff support coming from the Planning Division. 

DRC meets every other Wednesday at two in the afternoon.  And while they have an agenda, meet in the Council Chambers and follow established parliamentary procedure (big words that mean they have a standardized order to run the meeting), it is far from a traditional formal meeting. 

Akin to “The Price is Right”, the Committee invites anyone interested to “come on down” to hear the request.  No standing before a microphone here, which we know firsthand can be very intimidating.  What follows is a civilized conversation to discuss various aspects of the application.  This format has been very successful in clearing up misconceptions, finding solutions and addressing concerns which often results in a better project.    

So now you know the role of DRC, here are some of the applications they reviewd at their last meeting on March 27:

• A new eight-foot property line wall along the rear property line at the Aztec Hotel (this exceeds the permitted six-foot allowable).
• Minor exception for a new garage to encroach into the required setback on Poppy Avenue.

New business signs for:

• Haley's Nails - 315 West Huntington Dr.
• Medical Clinic - 925 West Duarte Rd.
• Remax Omega - 604 East Huntington Dr.
• Huntington Education - 2143 South Myrtle Ave.

Agendas are posted on the City’s website the Thursday prior to the meeting.  Here’s a direct link to the DRC page.

A Paint Color By Any Other Name Would Not Be The Same

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose

By any other name would smell as sweet."

- William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet

We don’t disagree with Mr. Shakespeare (a lesson learned repeatedly in high school English class), however according to Sherwin-Williams, the keeper of the “color bible,” choosing the right paint name is an essential part of the color marketing process.  A recent article in the Wall Street Journal took a fun, insightful look at the emotional relationship between homeowners and the names of paint colors. 

Also, check out the article’s supplementary piece, which includes a video interview with the author, as well as pictures of rooms painted in a variety of colors.

So, the next time you’re having trouble deciding between paint samples with names like Bagel, Messenger Bag, or Cut the Mustard, pay attention to your emotions.  As long as it’s compatible with the room, you can’t really go wrong basing your choice on the gut feeling that Laughing Orange gives you. (And we thought racehorses had funny names.)

Spring Is In The Air

Which do you think came first, spring or the egg?  Hmmm…doesn’t have quite the same ring. 

Anyway, the arrival of spring had us thinking about an urban legend whether an egg can only stand on its end during the vernal equinox.  Well, if we were trained scientists (or checked Snopes) we’d know the truth, but we’re the hands-on type so we wanted to try for ourselves.   And, based on our empirical evidence, it worked!  (We promise that we did not Photoshop the results of our experiment.)

Next year our goal is to tackle the equinox broom:

So, with a burst of intellectual curiosity, the right amount of silliness, and a good natured egg we've declared this the first day of spring (and the calendar concurs). 

What does this have to do with development?  Absolutely nothing.  However, we couldn't resist the opportunity to wish you a Happy Spring!

Del Taco: Approved

In case you missed the Planning Commission broadcast on KGOV (Time Warner Ch. 99, Champion Ch. 17)…Yes, that’s right—the Planning Commission meetings…live!

Well, anyway, the headline says it all.  The Commission approved a new 24-hour Del Taco at 935 East Huntington Drive.  For more details about the proposal and the site, check out the post from March 7 and September 12, 2012.  Ground breaking should be sometime in the late Spring.

Del Trivia: The first Del Taco opened in Yermo in 1964.

This has been your Planning Commission Update for March 2013.

Del Taco Elevations