Arcadia is being required to comply with state mandates to create a significant amount of additional affordable (low-income) housing in the near future.

That presents a formidable challenge to everyone since the City is pretty well built out.

But City officials are turning this challenge into a productive process by taking the opportunity to update the City's 1996 longterm (10-years - 20-years) General Plan for development on which most future decisions are based about what type of development is appropriate and ultimately approved.

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DEVELOPING ARCADIA'S FUTURE

by Scott Hettrick

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Although the final decisions about revisions will be decided by the Planning Commission and the City Council, input is being solicited from local residents during the next two years. The Development Services Department under Director Jason Kruckeberg, Senior Planner Lisa Flores, among others, is reaching out to all citizens via mailings, web sites, community activities, and other methods to get your feedback and comments.

Kruckeberg will make a presentation about the General Plan Update at the monthly Arcadia Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Forum from 8 a.m. - 9 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 2. The Chamber Forums, in the conference room of the Chamber office at 388 W. Huntington Dr., are always free and open to the public, with rsvps requested in advance.

One of the most specific areas of input is coming from a newly-formed Arcadia General Plan Advisory Committee (GPAC), which I have agreed to be a part of, along with about a dozen representatives of myriad organizations and affiliations, including homeowners associations, the Arcadia Chinese Association, community groups supporting and opposing the unanimously approved Shops at Santa Anita retail development (Arcadia Wins! and Arcadia First!, respectively), and business owners and civic-minded residents.

This is a rare and terrific opportunity to help shape the future direction and growth of homes, business, and the general character and personality of our town. I can't think of anyone who should not participate in this process.

Arcadia has created a boatload of information about the entire process at their very informative web site (click the following): www.ArcadiaGeneralPlan.com.

Our first monthly meeting of GPAC was last month. The schedule of upcoming meetings, always at 6 p.m. Thursdays at City Hall Council Chambers, and which the public is invited to attend and make comments, is Sept. 25, Oct. 30, and Nov. 20.

Below you will find a summary of the first meeting:

City of Arcadia

GPAC Meeting #1

July 31, 2008

Summary

Meeting Information

On July 31, 2008, the City of Arcadia General Plan Advisory Committee (GPAC) convened for the first of a series of meetings related to the City’s General Plan Update. The purpose of the GPAC is to provide City’s decision-makers, City staff, and the General Plan consulting team with local insight and knowledge. The GPAC members are Arcadia residents and represent diverse organizations and affiliations such as homeowner associations, the Arcadia Chinese Associations, Arcadia Wins, Arcadia First, and business owners.

The City anticipates that the GPAC will meet approximately six to ten times over the next 12 to 15 months with the General Plan consultant team and City staff. Every GPAC meeting will be open to the public, and participation is welcomed, as this is intended to be a community driven process.

Attendees

GPAC Members in Attendance

* Chris Atkinson

* Ed Beranek

* Ralph Bicker

* Richard Diluvio

* Mary Dougherty

* Ed Huang

* David Lee

* Robert Lum

* Gail Marshall

* Sonia Williams

Absent GPAC Members

* Scott Hettrick

* Henry Nunez

City Staff:

* Jason Kruckeberg – Development

Services Director

* Lisa Flores – Senior Planner

General Plan Consultant

* Laura Stetson – Hogle-Ireland, Inc.

* Diana Gonzalez– Hogle-Ireland, Inc.

Introductions

GPAC members were asked to introduce themselves and to identify their one grand idea for Arcadia’s future. Below is a summary of the responses.

* Changes around the location of the future Gold Line Station

* High-rise buildings and mixed-use development along Huntington Drive

* More strategic plans for the City’s utilities

* New construction that provides its own energy resources (“off the grid”)

* More water conservation measures

* A revitalized and energized Live Oak corridor, something similar to Solvang

* High-tech transportation such as a monorail

* Better access from the I-210 Freeway and Baldwin/Santa Anita

* A revitalized commercial community

* Healthy commercial corridors

* Uses that create jobs and reduce the need for long commutes

* More research and development uses

* More open green spaces for children to play and residents to exercise

* Careful consideration of the future of the Santa Anita Park parking lot

* A transportation department at the City

* Use of traffic control technology (Intelligent Transportation Systems – ITS)

* Desirable development on the Santa Anita Park property

* Revitalize commercial corridors

* Establish sustainability practices (green approaches) and follow through with them

* Higher-density development at appropriate locations

* Development that is sustainable (development that occurs in a resource-conservative and resource-efficient manner)

Consultant Presentation

The General Plan consultants gave a brief presentation that provided an overview of the General Plan, the General Plan update process, the role of the GPAC, and a summary of community outreach events conducted so far as part of the General Plan update. The General Plan update schedule and upcoming events were also reviewed. To begin a discussion on potential General Plan changes, an interactive activity was conducted to identify geographic areas of the City that may experience change or need to be addressed in the General Plan.

Geographic Area Map Activity

An important task in the General Plan update process is the identification of areas of Arcadia where change may occur throughout the 20-year planning period of this General Plan. Understanding that land uses within most areas within the City are well established and many are viable for the long term, most locations within the City will not change as a result of updated General Plan policy. To begin a discussion on geographic area identification, GPAC members were asked to brainstorm potential areas to focus changes or new policies.

Areas of Arcadia Where Change Is Not Anticipated

* Residential neighborhoods north of Foothill Boulevard

* Single family residential neighborhoods west of Baldwin Avenue between I-210 and Huntington Drive

* Single family residential neighborhoods bounded by Colorado Place on the south and the railroad tracks on the north

* Single family residential neighborhoods bounded by Santa Anita Park on the south and I-210 on the north

Potential Geographic Areas

* Residential Neighborhoods east of Santa Anita Ave., south of Foothill Blvd., north of Colorado Ave., and west of Fifth Ave.

- Noise issues related to I-210. Area may hold potential for higher-density development

* Pocket of commercial areas and residential neighborhoods at the east end of the City (along Foothill Avenue and north to I-210 between Fifth Avenue and Santa Anita Avenue)

- Hodgepodge of commercial uses, rental properties with revitalization potential

- Address maintenance issues

- Area may hold potential for higher-density development

* Pocket of residential near Holly Avenue, Duarte Road, and Campus Drive

- Area may hold potential for higher density development

* High density residential across the street from Westfield Mall (on Baldwin Avenue)

- Need to address zoning inconsistencies, although this may be challenging

because the area is fully developed. These uses are also under-parked.

* Most commercial corridors in the City

- Particularly Baldwin Avenue south of Huntington Drive

* Commercial/Industrial areas in downtown (bounded by Colorado Boulevard, Huntington Drive, Santa Anita Avenue, and City boundary)

- Create tourism services that will attract visitors to Santa Anita Park (hotels, etc.)

* First Avenue Downtown Corridor

- Opportunities to create a more lively downtown and encourage uses that attract visitors

* Live Oak Avenue

- Needs serious revitalization and attraction of better uses

- Area may hold potential for mixed-use and higher-density development

* Residential area south of Las Tunas Drive (down to City boundary)

- Area may hold potential for higher-density development

* Santa Anita Park

- Create opportunities to expand uses that attract more visitors to the race track, such as a visitors’ center and high-end hotels

* Potential annexation opportunity east of Mayflower Avenue

Actions

The GPAC voted to hold its meetings at 6:00 P.M. on Thursdays, with a full schedule to be developed by City staff.

Public Comment

No public comments were offered by those in attendance.