Midwick Tract development to continue, but be scaled down
Developers are moving forward on a controversial new development for Midwick Tract, but reduced the number of units from 92 to 70 and eliminate luxury suites, the Pasadena Star-News reports. The 33 townhomes and 37 single family homes would be built the 8.8 acre of the former Alhambra Retirement Community at 2400 Fremont.
Residents opposing the development claim traffic would increase, the neighborhood would become too crowded and unsafe, and the development does not fit with the historic architecture of the community dating back to pre-World War II. The homebuilder City Ventures says that the property will fill a need in the local market and that the development will add value to the community, rather than hurt it.
On Tuesday night, about 65 residents attended a meeting with developers and local officials. A lead organizer of a group that has been created to fight the development, Elizabeth Salinas, told the Star-News that she was not satisfied with the results and would continue lobbying as the official process moves forward. "My concern is that my representative is not advocating for me," Salinas said. "I feel like we've been abandoned and it's up to us as neighbors to ask the hard questions."
Comments
Post a comment"I hope most residents of Alhambra are not as cynical and jaded as "South End"
I've lived here long enough to know that it's not cynicism...it's experience. But I do laud you for your efforts. Perhaps it's time residents DO take a firm stand against our city's long entrenched mindset of "Developers First — Residents Last."
The County Registrar-Recorder's office vital records show 2,381 deaths on that property from 1947-2011 (64 years) during the facilities years of operation as a business. I'm pretty sure the developer is not going to disclose that to any of the people who plan on living there, so i figured i would! Feng Shui to homebuyers!!!!
I hope most residents of Alhambra are not as cynical and jaded as "South End". What do you propose? That we sit on our hands?
If what you describe as the general "drill" of how development projects "work" in Alhambra has become the norm or business as usual, don't you think it is time that people spoke up? I do. If you read the article published by the Pasadena Star News regarding our Preserve Midwick movement,you would know that no one has come away from last week's meeting feeling like "they won". We have a long process to go through here and I will continue to voice my objections and my proposals for a better project, during the whole process. We have too much at stake here (our homes, our community, our way of life) to simply sit idly by and do nothing, or worse yet, make fun of those who want to affect change in our local government.
@ southend
You don't need to call anyone "suckas".
The only real sucker is the one who thinks he knows it all...
Hehe. The residents of Alhambra have been suckered again.
"Scaling down"...or at least giving the impression of...was what the developers——in cahoots with City of Alhambra's politicos——always had in plan in order to get this development going. Here's the drill...
1). Meet with officials behind closed doors stating your intent.
2). Announce a development that's ridiculously larger than your final plan with the intent of stirring up the ire of the community and expecting strong opposition
3). Ride out those pesky community meetings to "hear the concerns" of residents
4). Negotiate a scaling back of the project size/units,
5). Come back with another plan showing fewer units and other negotiables that were never really part of your plan anyway and which closely matches your initial and intended plan,
6). The residents go away with the feeling that "they won."
Hehe. Suckas.
Post new comment