Neighbors of the Emery Park Community Group protest in Alhambra (Photo – Melissa Michelson)
Public comment period on the Draft Environmental Impact Report (D-EIR) for the “Villages” development on Fremont and Mission in Alhambra has been extended to November 1.
By Melissa Michelson
On October 16, members of the Emery Park Community Group in Alhambra demonstrated against the Villages project and held a public outreach event to inform commuters. They are opposing the proposed 1,061 condos and apartments and 4,347 parking spaces on an EPA Superfund polluted site. Community members contend San Gabriel Valley commuters already suffer from bumper-to-bumper traffic on Fremont Avenue as they drive to and from the 10 and 710 freeways. According to the D-EIR, the project would add 7, 752 more daily vehicle trips in and out of the property.
42-year resident of Alhambra Diane Schmeckpepper said:
I am amazed anyone would consider a project of this magnitude with such negative results for this area. It’s the wrong project for the wrong location.
Affordable housing needs
In addition to increased traffic and air pollution, neighbors are concerned that the market-rate condos and apartments will fail to address the affordable housing needs of the community. In today’s Alhambra market, a two-bedroom apartment of 1,029 square feet constructed in 2016 rents for $3,000 a month.
Currently owned by the Ratkovich Company and Elite International Investment, the “Villages” would be built on the former site of 1920’s petrochemical engineering and construction firm C.F. Braun, which made aviation fuel production equipment on that site for over 40 years.
The proposed development is adjacent to the ongoing controversial and similarly polluted site for a Lowe’s Superstore, whose owner was arrested last year on federal bribery charges. This follows community outrage from another developer chopping down or otherwise disposing of 228 mature trees to make room for 124 townhouses currently under construction just 10 blocks away.
Residents of Alhambra protest the large development (Photo – Melissa Michelson)
From ‘professional office’ to ‘urban residential’
In 2006, the City of Alhambra granted the Ratkovich Company a site zoning change from ‘professional office’ to ‘urban residential’ so that it could boost its profitability and build 75 units per acre on the 40-acre property in the heart of Alhambra’s industrial zone. This month, the multi-million-dollar property owner/developer sent out postcards in nearby residential neighborhoods fishing for supporters to attend future city council meetings to advocate on behalf of the project.
What’s next
Upon completion of the environmental review process, the project would be presented to Alhambra’s Planning Commission. If the Planning Commission denies the project, the applicant can appeal to the City Council. If the Planning Commission does not object to the project, it would move on to the City Council. Before permits are issued or specific plans for the project are approved, the City Council must certify the Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) as “Complete and Adequate,” meaning that impacts have been reduced to “less than significant” by mitigation of environmental problems. The public would then have 30 days to file a lawsuit.
> Click to see the D-EIR on the City of Alhambra webpage.
> Email the City of Alhambra before November 1, 2019, 5pm: plam@cityofalhambra.org
Test
Hi Melissa! Thank you for making your voice heard about The Villages at The Alhambra.
As we embark on our journey to make the vision of a more walkable Alhambra come to life through The Villages at The Alhambra, we have noticed a few incorrect facts being shared that need correcting and clarification.
To make sure that everyone knows the facts about our projects, we have included a few data points from the official Draft Environmental Impact Report below:
● First, in regard to your points about environmental safety, to address concerns raised about the safety of The Villages site compared to the Lowe’s development site, the project site is completely different. After 20 years of environmental investigation and remediation, Federal and State regulatory agencies have issued Soil Closure Reports certifying the soil is safe to build on with no concerns to health at the proposed site for The Villages at The Alhambra. Additionally, ownership between the two locations are entirely unrelated.
● Second, we are creating a net gain of 650 trees overall for the project. The project will be removing 214 trees (contrary to the 228 stated) and will add a total of 864 new trees on site.
● In 2006, Alhambra made a text change to the citywide zoning code allowing an Urban Residential use with 75 DU/acre on any site in excess of 30 acres via a Conditional Use Permit (CUP). This zoning change is not granted specifically to The Ratkovich Company as it was a citywide zoning update, nor is it deemed “spot zoning” because it was a text change in city code and not a Specific Plan. Our project falls completely in line with this requirement and we are not seeking a general plan amendment.
● Additionally, the impact of Phase I in 2024 is 3,302 daily vehicle trips and Phase III in 2028 is 6,088 daily vehicle trips (contrary to the 7,752 trips posited in your article). The trip projections are based on extremely conservative estimates for multiple factors including population growth as projected by Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG), the submitted list of projects provided by the City through 2028 and the car trips generated by the specific project through 2028.The goal of the project is to reduce impacts to “less than significant,” however, there are overriding considerations in certain instances for conditions that have existed for some time. Furthermore, it is impossible to talk about traffic without considering the walkability benefits that this new housing will provide. Sixty-one percent (61%) of current tenants that we surveyed at The Alhambra campus said they would want the opportunity to live on-site rather than commute.
● Finally, in response to questions about our community involvement, the community outreach we are conducting is in fact standard practice to provide transparency to residents about upcoming projects and ensure that community feedback is gathered. We welcome all community engagement, as this commentary helps us better understand and adapt The Villages to suit Alhambra’s vibrant community.
We appreciate you taking these facts into consideration and are more than happy to chat in person about the project or answer any questions you might have.
Send us an email at info@thevillagesalhambra.com or call us directly at (626) 727-9304 and we will be happy to set up a meeting.
We wish you a wonderful week and appreciate your interest in The Villages at The Alhambra!