Less condos and a dog park: What readers say they want in Alhambra in 2014
If you could create a New Year's resolution for your city, what would it be? We asked our readers earlier this month what they would improve in Alhambra in 2014. In comments on Facebook and Twitter and anonymous responses to our poll, most readers said they want the city to decrease the construction of mixed-use developments and condos and improve traffic and road conditions for cars and bikers.
Check out the responses below and let us know what you would improve in Alhambra in 2014!
Let’s be honest here.
Alhambra is trying to be like Pasadena – for better or worse (I’d say for the better).
It’s trying to go big-time. So I apologize to everyone who wanted to keep it idyllic and quaint and but that’s just not happening.
And yes, the changes are driven by several factors but mostly by people with money.
You may not fit into that category. Not all of us do. But that’s life.
Richard,
I second your comment on being tired of the endless development of condos not only on Main street but throughout Alhambra. It is hard to drive through any part of Alhambra and not see new apartments and condos going up by the hundreds.
The community has protested usually to no avail as was seen in the recent uproar over the life quality issues raised by the Midwick project. A small success a few years ago was the exception. The city was working with a developer to build condos in Story park in exchange for a new senior center. It was only when hundreds of neighbors in the adjoining R-1 neighborhood organized against the project, that the city stopped working with the developer.
Alhambra is all about making money through development of our once residential areas that were rezoned in the 70s and 80s. Many who were responsible for transforming a largely R-1 residential community into a city of apartments and condos benefited from this in the past and continue to do so. Having a transient population also insures a lack of public interest in the behavior of public officials.
New faces on the council unconnected to developers is what is needed to bring our city back to serving the community and not the developers.
I for one welcome these new condos as our CBD grows. These new condo developments have been in the pipeline for more than 7 years. They are part of the West Main St. Corridor Plan back around 2005/2006. This is downtown, where mixed-use projects with highly walkable areas belong.
Seems many Alhambra residents are tired of so many condos being built, yet the city council seems to be opposing resident’ concerns and continuing building condos. Whatever happened to “for the people, by the people?” More and more Alhambra is headed towards a “have and a have not city”, with the same people being elected over and over again;people who in my opinion are out of touch with the community;s wishes but who benefits from developer’s support.
Dog park and Bike Lanes!!! please.